Gaines Shults

Gaines Wiley Shults was born February 5, 1915 in Rising Star, Texas to Wade Whitehead Shults and Mattie Barnes Shults. He married his wife,
Bonnie Jean Milstead on March 19, 1955 In Buffalo Gap and they enjoyed 56 years of marriage.

In June of 1959, Gaines and Bonnie moved to the San Luis Valley in Colorado to avoid a severe drought in West Texas and settled on their Broken Heart Ranch which is located 3 miles east of Mosca. In their move, they left behind many good friends including Pete Gooch and Mack Eplen. Gaines fell in love with the San Luis Valley and its mountains and encouraged Jerry and Pat Bell to move there also. He and Bonnie worked for 29 years operating the Alamosa Airport and established Silver State Aviation, a crop dusting and charter business.

Gaines served in the Texas National Guard and then transferred into the United States Navy where he served as a flight instructor for pilots to serve their country in World War II. His hobbies were hunting and fishing and especially flying. He especially enjoyed ranching and the love of cattle. As a journalism major he graduated from HardinSimmons University in Abilene and was reporter for the Abilene Reporter News paper. Gaines enjoyed writing and wrote his favorite stories from African hunting trips with Pete Gooch and Mac Eplen in a book entitled Rhinos, Hippos Other Minor Problems Gaines is a founding member of the NRA and a member of American Legion Post 113 in Alamosa, Colorado.

He is survived by his wife Bonnie of Mosca, his four daughters, Ann, her husband Dan McBain from San Antonio, Jackie, her husband Al Morris from Austin, Charlotte and her husband Jack Coker from Rule, Texas and by Kay and her husband Chester Jones residing in Mosca. Gaines enjoyed 14 grandchildren, 37 greatgrandchildren and 12 greatgreat grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents one sister, Nell Benson and two grandsons, Jackie Coker and Gaines Garner and great grandson Austin Coker.

Family and dear friends of Gaines, will all miss his presence with us.

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