“I never thought of dying…Life has so much to offer and people just need to take advantage of it…fore it’s too late…’cause it will get too late…it will,” reads a quote from Williamsburg’s Alice Fae Weiland on a plaque displayed at the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Office.
Weiland, 84, lost her battle to cancer on Feb. 25.
“Alice Fae loved this community. Any board I asked her to be a part of, she smiled, sometimes chuckled, but always said yes,” said Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison. “She was always at our events, whether it was downtown or anywhere else. Alice was a strong advocate for teachers and loved our school systems as well. Maria and I will miss her so much – and this community will too.”
Her involvement in the community was profound, as evidenced by her dedicated service as a member of Main Street Baptist Church, the Whitley County Public Library Board, and as the diligent secretary of the Williamsburg/Whitley County Airport Board.
After her career as a professor at the University of Kentucky ended, Weiland continued her service to the community and teaching.
Only this time she was teaching at the Whitley County Extension Arts Center and teaching something that she developed a passion for in retirement, basketmaking.
In 2023, Weiland told the News Journal that exploring her creative side became a priority after she retired in 2003.
“When I retired, I had two goals,” she explained. “One was to make a quilt, and the other was to do a basket. I made my quilt, even though it took me over a year to do it, and then I got the basket made in just a week or two.”
Weiland liked the fact she could complete a woven basket project in a relatively short amount of time, so she continued to focus on those specifically.
Over the next 20 years, she honed her craft completing nearly 350 baskets.
In 2023, Weiland earned a blue ribbon in the statewide Kentucky Extensions Homemakers Cultural Arts Competition.
“It is worth noting that Alice Fae’s commitment and passion shine through her teaching,” Community Arts Program Assistant Mawnie Belcher said in 2023 about Weiland’s accomplishment.
When asked about what led her to begin teaching others how to make these unique creations, Alice Fae, as many in the community knew her, said, “I just decided to try and help anyone that wanted to do one and it kind of fell into me teaching these classes.”
Last year after thousands of volunteer hours were under her belt, the Whitley County Extension Community Arts program bestowed the honor of Volunteer of the Decade upon Weiland.
Because of Weiland’s volunteerism, the extension office was able to offer the basketmaking class for just the cost of materials. While similar classes typically cost around $120, Weiland’s classes averaged approximately $30 each.
Even after her cancer diagnosis, Weiland continued to teach the basketmaking classes inspiring those around her with her boundless energy.
During a birthday celebration last May, Whitley County Community Arts Agent Courtney Moses presented Weiland with a commemorative plaque, which is now permanently displayed at the Arts Center.
The plaque features a quote and image from a documentary produced by Western Kentucky University’s film graduate program, highlighting Weiland’s contributions and life story.
Visitation will be at 1:30 p.m. on March 8 at the Williamsburg Tourism and Convention Center. It will be followed by a celebration of her life, which will be coordinated by Ellison Funeral Home, Alvin Sharpe and Patty Faulkner.
Flowers can be sent to Ellison Funeral Home, and contributions can be made in her name to Main Street Baptist Church.
(Editor’s note: Information for this article was contributed by Trevor Sherman and Leeann Fragosa.)
