Sunrise: October 23, 1953 – June 6, 2024
Alice Fatuma Saiway was born from the union of parliament Chief Joseph P (Sonya) SIaway and Myiah Selon King in Zoule, Nimba County, Liberia October 23rd 1953. After spending her early years in Nimba, ALice would attend Saint Philomena in Harper, Maryland, St. Mary in Sanniquellie, Nimba County, before matriculating from Bishop Ferguson High School in Maryland. After graduating High school, Alice gave birth to two children: Frederick Takpor Dixon (late) and Mrs. Yeapleh J Sumo. Alice married Mr. Claudius D Dwanyen (late) subsequently emigrated to the United States. She and Claudius would have two sons: Sehtorwon and Calvin Dwanyen (late). Unfortunately, her eldest son Takpor was lost during the Liberian Civil War and eleven years later Calvin would lose his battle with terminal illness.
Alice attended Essex County College in Newark and earned a certificate of phlebotomy. She would spend her working years as a phlebotomist/lab tech before retiring. In 1993, Alice moved from Newark, NJ to Atlanta, GA where she would spend the next 16 years of her life before returning back to Newark. Alice made friends and family wherever she was. Everyone was family. She believed that to her core. Alice was a real life renaissance woman. She had excellent taste in fashion and decorating. If you knew her then you knew that food was her lingua franca. She was always willing to cook for you, even if she was upset with you. Alice was a true Jill of all trades. She loved life and people, and they loved her back. This passion for life and people led her to community building where she and Claudius were founding members of the United Nimba Citizens Council (UNICCO), an organization for Nimbaians residing in the United States.
Alice was the marshall of the Siaway family in the United States. She encouraged them to be united, and spearheaded the family reunions for 10 years until the pandemic of 2020. She would say, “even if it is two people, the reunion will go on.” Ms. Alice Fatuma Siaway is survived by her two remaining children Yeapleh and Sehtorwon, eleven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, four siblings, many nieces, nephews, and a host of other relatives and friends. She will be missed, but she is loved far more!
