Dessie Gaines

Dessie Ruth Foster Gaines, 94, of Delta died Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

She was born Nov. 25, 1916, in Bell City, Mo., daughter of Perry and Minnie Jones Chezem. She and Everett Foster were married July 31, 1937, at Benton, Mo. He died Oct. 1, 1989. She then married Theodore "Ted" Gaines Aug. 23, 1990, at Delta. He died Nov. 28, 2001.

Gaines moved to Delta while a teenager. She attended school in Randles. She worked as an arrhythmia technician at Saint Francis Medical Center 27 years, retiring in April 1991, and then worked at old National Shoe Factory 10 years.

She was a member of First Baptist Church of Delta, where she taught Sunday school many years. Dessie was a 50-year member of Whitewater Chapter 174 Order of Eastern Star where she served as worthy matron in 1962 and in 1980; member of Past Matron's Club and Calvary White Shrine in Cape Girardeau.

Survivors include a son, John D. Foster of Delta; two grandsons, Jim Foster of Hannibal, Mo., John Dustin Foster of Delta; a stepgrandson, Darrin Moore of Springfield, Mo.; six stepdaughters, Wilma Rouggly of Grassy, Mo., Bernice Smith of Advance, Mo., Louise Acup of Marble Hill, Mo., Brenda Spiller of Wentzville, Mo., Debra Savage of Wilmington, Ill., Connie Danlow of Lockport, Ill.; three great-grandsons, Gregg Hopkins of Hannibal, John Hopkins of Dexter, Mo., and Daryl Foster of Fontana, Calif.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two husbands, a sister and two brothers.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Mo. An Eastern Star service will be held at 7.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the chapel, with the Rev. Eric Hodge officiating. Burial will be in Morgan Memorial Park Cemetery in Advance.