ELLINWOOD — Alberta Marie Sovereign, 73, left her earthly body surrounded by those she loved the most on Sept. 5, 2021, at Wesley Woodlawn Hospital, Wichita. She was born Jan. 31, 1948, in Eads, Col., to her hero Albert and his wife Mary (Harmon) Walter. If you knew Alberta, you knew Frank. The two were married on June 23, 1979, in Great Bend and spent the rest of their time together traveling and making memories with their daughter and beloved grandchildren.
Alberta, a resident of Ellinwood since 1984, came from humble beginnings and from the age of 12 never stopped working to support her family. She was always good with money, she would say “frugal” and not cheap, and let that guide her career after high school. Her natural and effortless understanding of money gave her a successful career as a bookkeeper for several businesses and banks including Farmers Bank and Trust, Great Bend, and most recently Community Bank of the Midwest, Great Bend, before her well-deserved retirement in 2018.
She was a proud child of Christ and attended CrossPoint Church, Great Bend, with Frank always by her side. She was an avid reader and enjoyed vacationing with Frank and her grandchildren. Alberta loved the mountains and spent her vacations in Colorado and Wyoming as well as the Black Hills of South Dakota.
For more than 32 years, she dedicated her life to her grandchildren. Mema, as she was known to her grandchildren and all of their friends, and Frank would travel all across Kansas to support all of her grandchildren’s endeavors. From every type of ball game to plays and musicals, cheerleading events, graduations, and anything else they were involved in you could find Alberta and Frank in the middle of the stands… and she could yell and cheer with the best of them.
She cherished the holidays with her family. During holiday events, she enjoyed sitting around the kitchen table playing dominos and listening to and laughing at the antics of her grandchildren. She enjoyed being teased by her grandsons and would play along in her own over-the-top way. Alberta loved the time she was able to spend with her daughter Tonya, the two developed a deep understanding of each other in the kitchen and would oftentimes work on preparing large and complex meals without ever having to discuss the planning or preparation and were able to focus on the more important conversations of life.
Survivors include her husband and best friend, Frank Eugene Sovereign, of the home; her daughter and closest confidant, Tonya Parks and husband Kenneth of Elkhart; one sister, Debbie McDaniel and husband Gary of Garden City; and the lights of her life, her three grandchildren, Tyler Parks, Whitney Parks and Cole Parks.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Friday, September 10, 2021, at CrossPoint Church, Great Bend, with Pastor Clay Boepple presiding. Interment will follow at Lakin-Comanche District Cemetery, Ellinwood. Visitation will be from Noon to 9:00 p.m., Thursday, September 9, at Bryant Funeral Home, with the family receiving friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Memorials may be given to The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.
Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net.
Funeral arrangements by Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune Sept. 8, 2021
