Dolores “Dorey” Mae Gaither

Dolores “Dorey” Mae Gaither, 87, of Clyde died Saturday, January 8, 2022, at an Abilene care center. Funeral services will be Friday, January 14, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. at Hillcrest Church of Christ Chapel, 650 E. Ambler Ave. in Abilene with Jason Howard officiating. Graveside services will be at 11:00 a.m. Friday at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery under the direction of Bailey-Howard Funeral Home. Dorey was born July 31, 1934, in Independence, Kansas to Luther L. and Alice Shepherd. She married James Kenneth Gaither July 19, 1952, in Montebello, California. Dorey was a homemaker and a member of the Hillcrest Church of Christ. Before coming to Abilene, she was a member of Brownfield Church of Christ, where she taught children’s bible classes on Sunday and Wednesday nights, the children’s bible class for ladies bible class on Wednesday morning. She also taught bible class at their Thursday school program. She taught her grandchildren and great-grandchildren with her flannel graphs and characters. Dorey loved to sit on the porch or in the backyard where she would watch birds, squirrels, and butterflies. She loved to cook her favorite traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner – turkey, dressing, and apple and cherry pies. She always wore the biggest smile and had a positive attitude. Dorey is preceded in death by her parents, Luther and Alice and in-laws, Kervy and Lilly Gaither, her husband, James Gaither, two sons, David and Kenneth Allan Gaither, son-in-law, Johnnie Howard, and grandson, Wade Howard. She is survived by her daughters, Brenda Howard of Clyde and Dorey Brown of Lubbock, grandchildren, Heather McClure and husband, Scott of Abilene and Jason Howard and wife, Allison of Keller, and great-grandchildren, Megan McClure of Wichita Falls, Bethany McClure of Abilene, Jessie Howard of Nocona, Harper Howard, Bailey Howard, and Ellis Howard, all of Keller. Donations may be made to Brownfield Church of a Christ Thursday School or Hendrick Hospice of Abilene. Online condolences may be made at www.baileyhowardfuneralhome.com