Alice Cromwell

ALICE CROMWELL’S STORY Alice was born on October 23,1920, in Cleveland, Ohio, to William and Edith Holt McLeran. She and an older brother, Bill were raised by a step-mother, Hattie Everett McLeran, when their father remarried after Edith's death in 1922. Alice graduated from Lakewood High School in 1938, in the midst of the depression and went to work as a secretary in downtown Cleveland. She was active in Methodist youth work and met Tom Cromwell when he was a student at Baldwin Wallace College, studying for the ministry. They were married in 1942 and she continued working while he attended Oberlin School of Theology and served as pastor at the Garfield Memorial Methodist Church east of Cleveland. During their 43 years together they served churches in Loudonville, Millersburg, Delaware, Medina, and Wooster. Three children joined their family: Martha, Dick and Mary. Five years as District Superintendent took them back to Cleveland, and then seven years as Administrative Assistant to Bishop James Thomas were spent in Canton. In 1984 they moved to Copeland Oaks where Alice continued to live after Tom's death in 1985. Grandchildren are Martha and Ray Allison's Deb and Steph; Dick and Kathy Cromwell's Brian and Jenna; Mary and Bill Staib's Kasey, Travis and Clayton. Great-grandchildren are: Deb and Jim McDonough's Kevin, Mara, David and Michael; Brian and Talia Cromwell's Chase and Reese; Jenna and Nick Cron's Reagan; and Kasey and Jeff Adelman are expecting in February. Steph and Steve Weiss and Travis and Amanda Staib complete the grandchildren. Alice’s love of football started in Medina as she realized to communicate with a teenage son, she needed to learn about the X’s and O’s of the game. Her support continued through his high school, college, and coaching years and then through the playing years of the grandsons. Neither snow nor ice kept her away as she supported the Marlington Dukes, Toledo St. Francis Knights, Mount Union Purple Raiders, and the Cleveland Browns. Alice has been a member of Union Avenue United Methodist Church since 1984, serving as United Methodist Women's president, Church and Society Committee chair, and a member of the Administrative Council and PFLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). At Copeland Oaks she served as president of the Residents' Association in 1988-89, member of the Copeland Oaks Computer Users Group and volunteered in various areas. She participated in the Church Women United unit of Alliance and served as its president in 2004 and '05. Alice attended 12 sessions of the United Methodist General Conference, beginning in 1964. It is held every four years; she was a delegate in 1996 and 2000. Alice has attended 68 sessions of the East Ohio Annual Conference or its predecessors. She has served in District and Conference responsibilities with United Methodist Women and attended many Schools of Mission both at Lakeside and Mount Union. Very dear to her are her nieces and nephews. Pam Lott and Bill McLeran are the children of her late brother Bill. Dean, Paul and Janet Cromwell are the children of Tom's late brother, Oliver Cromwell, and his wife, Mickey who still resides in Parma. Fond memories with all the farm relatives in Wisconsin were passed on to the children, grandchildren, and nieces and nephews. Many summers were spent at the farm at the annual family reunions which would include up to 75 cousins. Donations in her memory may be made to Copeland Oaks Life Care Fund, 800 South 15th St. Sebring, OH 44672 or to the local PFLAG organization, made out to Union Avenue United Methodist Church, 1843 S. Union Avenue, Alliance, OH 44601 for the work of giving spiritual support to persons who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered, and making the church more inclusive for all people.

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