Mrs. Nadine Gaines, 91, of Puxico, Missouri departed this life on Jan. 15, 2017 surrounded by her loving friends and family. She was born on June 28, 1925 at Lick Creek, Wayne County, Missouri (currently the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge). She was one of seven children born to Nona Lee Haney and Clayton Howard Wilfong. Nadine attended Fry School at Rabbit Ridge in Wayne County. During the early 1940s she moved to St. Louis, Missouri with her friend Ruby Walk Barnfiled to for Melicots Chemical Factory and later Nabisco Biscuit Company. On Nov. 1, 1947 she was united in Holy Matrimony to Howard Dales Gaines in McGee, Missouri. To this union two children were born, Geneva Faye and Howard David. She worked as a homemaker and raised her daughter on a horse farm in rural Puxico. She also lived for a short time in Oroville, California and Grand Junction, Colorado while Howard worked as a logger and digging irrigation canals. Howard, Nadine, and Geneva enjoyed working with horses, camping, fishing on Mingo, and fish fries with family and friends.
Nadine was a member of the Mingo Saddle Club for many years and a lifelong member of Brown General Baptist Church.
After the death of her husband, she sold the farm and moved to downtown Puxico where she was a constant figure for may years, always making sure her hair and makeup were done before walking to the diner each day. Nadine was known for her dry sense of humor, never complaining, and always a smile on her face. Nadine lived a simple life with dignity and grace. She took great pride in her two granddaughter, Monica and Alicia and could often be seen attend their high school activities.
In September 2012, she moved to Advance Assisted Living to enjoy her last year's reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, playing Bingo, and building a close bond with niece Debbie Newman, all while waiting for a visit from her great granddaughter Eva.
Nadine was preceded in death by her infant son, Howard Dale Gaines on Nov. 11, 1952, her daughter Geneva Siler on Aug. 26 1974 and her husband, Howard Gaines on Nov. 23, 1976, her sisters Dorothy Scott, Iva Harty, Lorine Keith, and brother Dale Wilfong.
She is survived by on one brother Cletus Wilfong of Springfield, Missouri; one sister Wilma Crawford of Anchorage, Alaska; two granddaughters Alicia Siler Mengelberg (Mark) of Novato, California, and Monica Siler of Cape Girardeau, Missouri; three great grandchildren Ethan and Estelle Mengelberg (Alicia) and Eva Barnfield (Monica) and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Services were held Jan. 19, 2017 at the Brown General Baptist Church. Revernd Ray Placher officiated.
Morgan-Sifford Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Paid