Obituary of Atha Gaines

Atha Lae Petty Gains, age 92, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Sunday, October 13, 2013. The funeral will be held at West Oaks Funeral Home Chapel at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 15, 2013.Visitation will be held from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., prior to service time. The funeral will be officiated by Dr. Jimmy Henry. The interment will be at Cumby Cemetery following the service. Atha passed away on October 13, 2013 at Carriage House Manor in Sulphur Springs, TX. Pallbearers will be Joshua David Gaines, John David Bivins, James Michael Bivins, Shannon Lee Gaines, Hayden Gerald Hollon, and Philip Anthony Doty. Atha Lae was born in Iowa Park, TX on November 27, 1920 while her father David Owen Petty and mother Pinkie Mae Caudle Petty were involved in the oil field work of the Burkburnett oil boom; however most of her life was spent in Cumby, TX. He brothers were J.W. Petty, Loyd Owen Petty, James Alvin (Jack) Petty and Wylie Vernon (Sug) Petty. She had one sister, Ruby Petty Yarbrough. Atha went to Plunkett School for her elementary years and then to Cumby High School. She graduated high school in May 1938 and was valedictorian of her class. After high school, Atha went to East Texas State College where she majored in Home Economics and minored in Science and English. She graduated in May 1941 with a Bachelor of Science. Atha married Barney Lee Gaines March 14, 1941 in Paris, TX. Together they owned and operated a grade A dairy for many years. Atha taught school at Cumby ISD for 32 years. She began her career teaching home economics then became the business teacher and was the yearbook sponsor for many years. Atha was the first year book sponsor of the “Trojan” in 1942. She belonged to the Texas State Teacher’s Association and now is a member of Texas Retired Teachers’ Association and Sulphur Springs Area Retired Teachers’ Association. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Cumby. Barney and Atha Lae were blessed with two sons, Gerald Lee Gaines, David Wayne Gaines, and one daughter Jeanette Gaines Bivins, all of Cumby, TX. She is survived by her grandchildren: Kelly Ann Gaines Warrington of Sulphur Springs, TX, Shannon Lee Gaines of Cumby, TX, John David Bivins and wife Halie of Colorado City, TX, Joni Bivins Doty and husband Philip of Colorado City, TX, James Michael Bivins of San Angelo, TX, and Joshua David Gaines of College Station, TX. Atha’s great-grandchildren are Hayley Dawn Gaines Radney and husband Chris of Sulphur Springs, TX, Hayden Gerald Hollon of Cumby, Skylar Lenae Gaines of Cumby, Hayden Jacobs of Dallas, and Graceyn Jayde Bivins of Colorado City, TX. Atha also has 2 great-great-grandchildren, Adrian Gabriel Radney and Colter Michael Radney both of Sulphur Springs, TX. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brothers, sister, and son, Gerald. Atha based her life on faith, hope, and hard work. She was gifted with a sense of humor and one of her favorite things was to point out that her family could find something funny about everything that happened in their lives. She was a woman who loved life, her country, her students, her friends, her home, her family, and her God. One of Atha’s favorite scripture passages was Philippians 3:12-14. “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already achieved perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing; Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us to heaven.” Dear Ma-Ma, all that is left to say is “We thank you God upon every remembrance of you”. Philippians 1:3 Arrangements are under the direction of West Oaks Funeral Home. www.westoaksfuneralhome.com