Alice Cutler, 79, a wife, mother and grandmother, died after a year-long struggle with congestive failure on Jan. 28, 2009. According to her family, the last six months of her life were filled with monthly panicked emergency room visits and subsequent lengthy hospitalizations requiring antibiotic infusions, but she never lost her faith in God and kept a positive attitude. She set a goal to keep focused on the future and was determined to make it to her 80th birthday on March 26, 2009. She is survived by her three children, Margo Sturges of Yucca Valley, Robert Lopez, M.D., of Long Island and Cathy Kyriakou of Woodland Hills. She was preceded in death by her youngest son, Eric Powers, 40, who died in an accident, and by her husband, Jerold Cutler. Alice was born in California, the oldest daughter of 16 children. She was raised in Arizona on the family ranch and was in charge of running the family supermarket. She always wanted a large family but her pelvis was crushed in an auto accident when she was a teenager and she was told she would never have children. She and her first husband, Alfred Lopez, were American Indians of the Tohono O'Odham tribe. Their ancestors were given Spanish last names by missionaries but they never learned to speak Spanish. When the newlyweds discovered she was pregnant, they moved to California with hopes of new opportunities for their family without discrimination. Mrs. Cutler was particularly proud of her six grandchildren, Natalie and Derek Moore-Lopez, Helena and George Kyriakou and Alicia and Mason Powers. She instilled Christian values and led Cub Scouts, Brownies, Girl Scouts and Eagle Scouts troops. Graveside services were held Jan. 31 at Rose Hills in Whittier in a private ceremony. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in her name would be greatly appreciated to Sandy Fleck of Reach Out Morongo Basin or Penny Morehead of Hospice of Morongo Basin.