The Youngest of the Rainey Clan

Eugene Robert Rainey’s 117^th birthday was on September 20. He entered the world two years before Oklahoma’s statehood at Sacred Heart (near Asher, Oklahoma) as the final child born to Rosa Jarrell Rainey and William Marion Rainey.

Early Photo of Gene

Gene, as he came to be known, was the third of the Rainey children born at Sacred Heart. This town originally started as Sacred Heart Mission in 1879, but the name of the community/town changed to Sacred Heart when the arrival of non-Indian settlers was anticipated. The Land Run of 1891 in the fall opened the land of the Potawatomi people to outsiders. The Rainey family had settled in this area by 1902.

Jovial and fun-loving described Gene. I never personally observed the prankster in him but an account by my grandma, Gladys Rainey Smith, of her younger brother's practical joking can be read in the blog post at: https://bernadeanjgates.blogspot.com/2013/10/william-marion-rainey.html  

Many characterized Uncle Gene as sensitive and generous. His sensitive side is chronicled in a blog post at: https://bernadeanjgates.blogspot.com/2016/07/long-ago-friendships-in-bend.html Sometimes his family disagreed sharply with his generosity. Mother relates how her Aunt Alice, though legally blind, was a terrific cook.  One family story associated with her scrumptious cream pies involved her younger brother Gene. Alice had made a couple of cream pies anticipating “company” coming for Sunday dinner. To her chagrin, she set them out to cool, went for a visit, and returned to find her generous brother had taken them and shared with neighbors. Spunky Alice had a few choice words for him.

                Rosemary Goad Dilbeck recalled in her childhood, Gene, her great-uncle, showed incredible generosity to a needy family. Rosie’s grandma, Daisy Rainey Rice, was one of Gene’s sisters.

Rosie attended Belford Grade School and had a friend whose family was hungry. Gene provided sustenance of garden vegetables, milk, other food and probably some of Alice’s home-baked desserts. His consistent generosity for a prolonged time to her friend’s family impacted Rosie even to this day.

This generous, jovial man received a diagnosis of manic depression, now referred to as bipolar disorder, in the early 1940s. His wife and the love of his life, Raucie Snow Rainey, went to work in the airplane factories in Tulsa. He missed Raucie and his dearly-loved daughters, Billie Jean and Marilyn. Soon Raucie became ill and died. Even though he had many productive times, he never fully recovered.

Gene and Raucie Rainey
 Billie Jean and Marilyn Rainey

Mother marveled at how he cared for a herd of dairy cows on a small area known as the “triangle” just west of the site of the Belford Grade School. Gene’s productive cows provided milk that he sold to milk companies much to the surprise of his fastidiously clean sisters and mother!

My father contracted mumps as an adult just at the time he needed to plant cotton. Uncle Gene came and put in the entire cotton crop enabling Dad to concentrate on following his doctor’s orders and recovering totally.

One of his greatest delights occurred each time his three grandchildren, Suzan, Craig, and Lisa arrived for a visit. He dearly loved them. Many of his nieces and nephews reaped the joy of his doting on them.
     I was only five years of age when Uncle Gene died, but I recalled a time when Suzan, Craig, and Lisa, with their mother, came to our house in the Bend. Uncle Gene stayed in the backyard where we kids played in the dirt and on the homemade tree swing that Dad had hung for me. Fun and happiness abounded in that simple setting with Uncle Gene being the happiest I had ever seen him.

Uncle Gene died March 27, 1962, after contracting pneumonia while receiving treatment at Vinita. Even though I was young, I remembered my grandmother, Gladys Smith Rainey, the nurse in the family, being concerned about her younger brother. Sometimes I wondered if the advancements in medication and treatment in our day might have made his life different. I knew Grandma would have felt the same way.

In her keepsakes, Grandma had a New Testament that belonged to Gene. Inside the back cover, in pencil was written, “Jesus I love. Jesus I love.” Grandma had recorded in her family record book that Gene was “converted” in 1948, following the preaching of Jack Wright.

Each of us have our own struggles in life. Giving to others and bringing happiness to his family and neighbors remained the main goal in Uncle Gene’s life, despite his periods of debilitating depression. What a legacy worth emulating!

Finally, as I reread his penciled words in the small New Testament, a precious verse from I John 4:19 articulating a beautiful, life-giving truth came to mind. As you read this verse, may you realize Uncle Gene’s theology of loving Jesus because He first loved him, provides a credo by which to live and die.

We love Him because He first loved us.