Lorene Taylor Gaines

Lorene Taylor Gaines passed away on Jan. 6, 2015 after a rich life of 95 years. She was a kind, caring, selfless and loving wife to her husband; mother to her daughters; sister, aunt and grandmother to her family members and devoted friend to everyone who knew her. She was always optimistic and encouraging to everyone around her. Her passions were enjoying times with her family, serving those in need in her community, being actively involved in the work of Westover Hills Presbyterian Church, being active in AARP and researching the history of her family. She compiled the research she and her husband did into several books on the Gaines and McCurdy families and conducted extensive research on the histories of the Denton and Taylor families in the U.S. Her work traced many of the family members back 400 years to the countries in the British Isles from which they originally came to the U.S. She loved to travel to visit family as well as visiting places the world with her husband over the years. For many years, she was an avid square dancer. Above all, Lorene's calling in life was to be kind to other people. She loved visit with friends and family, cook delicious meals for them and to listen to their stories. Lorene was born in Pleasant Grove, Texas on Sept. 18, 1919, the youngest daughter of William Robert and Julina Denton Taylor. Her brothers were Nolan (Buster) and Harry. Her sisters were Hazel, Thelma Toole (Nolan), Rachel Herron (Al) and Lois Lundgren (Fred), all of whom preceded her in death. She was married May 15, 1940 to Thomas Blanton Gaines in Austin, Texas and they were married for 69 years when he passed away in 2009. Her daughters are Peggy (Gaines) Morrison of San Diego, Calif. and Wanda (Gaines) Shultz (husband Ray) of Las Cruces, N.M. Her grandchildren are Jason Shultz (wife Dallas) and Taylor Morrison. Her great-grandchildren are Aspen and Cody Shultz. She also dearly loved and enjoyed the many members of her extended family, in-laws, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. Early in her adult life, she received a degree in cosmetology in Austin. When she and Thomas were married, they moved to Savannah, Ga., where she became a sales representative for Avon Cosmetics. She lived there for 17 years. After the family moved to Atlanta where she lived for many years, she was a real estate agent and later a supervisor with the Internal Revenue Service. She and Tom moved then to Little Rock, where they lived for 32 years before moving to Las Cruces, N.M. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a contribution in Lorene's name to the Mesilla Valley Hospice (http://mvhospice.org) or The Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org). Visitation will be Monday, Jan. 12, 5-7 p.m. at the La Paz-Graham's Funeral Home in Las Cruces, N.M. The funeral will be on Saturday, Jan. 17 at Harrell's Funeral Home in Dublin, Texas. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. and the funeral service will be at 11 a.m.