Mrs. Nadine Gaines, 91 of Puxico, Missouri departed this life on January 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 1940’s she moved to St. Louis, Missouri with her friend Ruby Walk Barnfield to work for Melicots Chemical Factory and later Nabisco Biscuit Company.
On November 1st, 1947 she was united in Holy Matrimony to Howard Dale 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 period of 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 having fish frys 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 many 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 granddaughters, Monica and Alicia and could often be seen attending 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 her niece Debbie Newman, all while waiting for a visit from her great granddaughter Eva.
Nadine was proceeded in death by her infant son, Howard David Gaines November 11, 1952, her daughter Geneva Siler August 26, 1974, her husband, Howard Gaines November 23, 1976, her sisters Dorothy Scott, Iva Harty, Lorine Keith, and brother Dale Wilfong.
Leaving to cherish precious memories is 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.
A family visitation will be at the Morgan Sifford Funeral Home, Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 5:00 PM and friends are welcome to call upon the family starting at 6:00 PM. also at the funeral home to give their condolences.
Funeral services will begin at 11:00 AM Thursday, January 19, 2017 at the Brown General Baptist Church with the burial immediately following in the Brown Church General Baptist cemetery.
In lieu flowers the family has requested any memorials be made to:
Brown Church Cemetery Fund
P.O. Box 451
Puxico, Missouri
63960
Also, the Leukemia Lymphoma Society
