Elaine Maida Dudley

A service to honor the life of Elaine Dudley will be 10 am Thursday, November 1, 2012 at Coldwater Baptist Church with Bro. Rickey Robertson officiating. Interment will follow at Coldwater Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 pm until 9 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at Blanchard St. Denis and again on the 1st from 9 am until service time at the church. Elaine Maida Dudley, born in Natchitoches, LA, passed away at age 81 on October 28, 2012. Elaine was a woman unusually tall in stature that matched her personal courage, tenacity, and in later years, her fierce independence. She worked hard to support her family, working eagerly at the Red Cross and ultimately building a 45 year professional career as a Blood Banking Researcher. Elaine loved to crochet, gifting all the babies in her life a one-of-a-kind baby blanket. She loved politics, a good joke, southern food and her family. Family and home truly defined Elaine. Everyone was welcome in her home. Elaine raised five strong children, laughed and loved with family and friends for 81 rich years. Elaine was a southern girl, and although she lived in both Alabama and Texas, Louisiana was always her home. Elaine knew her heart, and her heart was in Natchitoches where she retired and lived out her final years. Elaine lives in the hearts of those she touched, for nothing loved is ever lost and she was loved so much. Elaine was preceded in death by her first husband, Aaron M. Futrell; and a sister, Betty Louise Armstrong. She is survived by her husband, Gordon Dudley; son, Don Futrell and his wife Toby; daughters, Glenda Haynie and her husband Herschel, Cindy Chambers and her husband Gary, Jeanie Merrikh, Tina Stogdill and her husband Kurt, Linda Barberousse and Mary Barberousse; step-daughters, Gretchen Kaylin and her husband Shung and Jennifer Dudley; eleven grandchildren, James, Kimberly, Sarah, Stephanie, Aaron, Gary Jr., Dwight, Hannah, Chance, McKenna and Nash; ten great grandchildren, Larry, Emma, Gary III, Tyler, Brendan, Mia, Garrett, Caleb, Reese, Kade, and Aspen; brother, Kenneth Edwards and his wife Rhonda; as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews and dear friends. In lieu of flowers, as befits a lifelong democrat, Elaine would love for you to take 10 democrats to the polls on November 6th.