Delora M. Alvarez

Obituary – Dee Alvarez

Delora Mae Alvarez, 79, departed this life, early Saturday morning, January 25, 2020, at the Herington Municipal Hospital.  She was born July 15, 1940, at Schurz, Nevada, the second child of ten children born to Henick and Lavell (Brady) Smith.

Dee graduated from Tonapah High School in Nevada.  On June 8, 1959, she married Manuel Alvarez in Herington, Kansas.  They were the parents of Sam, Theresa, Audrey, Diana, Tammi,  Vicki, and Mary Ann.  After Vicki went to school, Dee opened Al’s Café in Lost Springs.  As the business grew and became successful she built a new and larger facility to the west.  Currently, she was the owner and manager, of the famous “Al’s Café,” known all around for at least a hundred miles.

Proceeded in death by her parents; two sisters, Thelma Smith and Pansey Show; brother, Lester Smith; husband, Manuel Alvarez; 2 daughters, an infant, Mary Ann Alvarez, and Vicki Makovec; and son, Samuel Alvarez.

Dee is survived by four daughters, Theresa Morrical (husband-Steve) of Brookville, Kansas, Audrey Alvarez of Herington, Diana Smith (husband-Rickey) of Greenwood, Louisiana, and Tammi Roth of Abilene; six siblings, Edward Smith (wife-Vicki), Amelia Marie Smith (Stan Baldwin),  Lily Smith (Victor Bobb), J.V. Smith (Colleen), Kenny Smith (Sherri), and Vernell Zararagoza (Richard); and twelve grandchildren; and 20 great grandchildren. 

Visitation will be Friday, January 31, 2020, 6:00 – 7:25pm, at the Yazel-Megli-Zeiner Funeral Home-Herington Chapel, with rosary at 7:30pm led by Father Peter O’Donnell.  Funeral mass will be Saturday, February 1, 2020, 10:30am at the St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church, Pilsen, with Fr. Brian Bebak, officiating. Burial will follow at the Mount St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery of Abilene, with Fr. Don Zimmerman, officiating. 

Memorials have been designated to Donor’s Choice; and may be sent in care of Yazel- Megli-Zeiner Funeral Home-Herington Chapel, 404 S. Broadway, Herington, KS, 67449-3038.