Gay LaRue Coulter
(August 19, 1937 – December 16, 2014)
Gay LaRue Mathena was born on August 19, 1937 to Robert Ernest and Carlyn Gay Mathena (Conner) in Bluefield, West Virginia. Gay was one of eleven children. They grew up on a mountaintop in McComas, West Virginia where her dad was a coalminer. They were very poor. The children each had one pair of shoes and they were only allowed to wear them to school or church. Otherwise, they had to go barefoot. The girls each got a new dress once a year at Eastertime and one new pair of shoes. Gay's parents were very religious and very strict. The kids were not allowed to date until they left home. So, when Gay graduated from High School she was ready to see what life off the mountain had to offer. She moved to Baltimore and within a year she joined the Air Force because she thought it sounded exciting. She completed her basic training in San Antonio, TX. After serving for 2 ½ years she got married to her teletype teacher, Cliff Lee Glover in 1956. Together, they lived on the farm south of Walsh where they were married for ten years. They had three children together; Debbie, Ray, and Carol. Cliff Lee was killed in 1966. She then married Edsel Shaffer of Walsh, CO. From this union Troy was born. In 1976 this marriage ended and three years later she married the man she would grow old with, Delbert Coulter. Through this marriage she gained four more daughters; Debbie Lynn, Debbie Kay, Della and Docia.
Delbert and Gay were happily married for 32 years. They loved life and lived it to the fullest. While Delbert worked at Southeast Colorado Power, Gay worked at the Vilas School, first as a janitor and later as a cook. The students soon discovered that Gay was an awesome cook! She also had many other talents as well. She enjoyed crafts and oil painting and filled her house with pictures that she had created. Delbert and Gay both loved bowling and spent many years bowling at Princess Lanes on a league as well.
Once the kids were raised and had all moved out of the house, Delbert and Gay retired and began to golf. They loved to golf and you could almost always find them on a golf course somewhere. They often went to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico for months at a time to golf when it was too cold at home. She loved coming home though, especially at Christmastime, so that she could cook and care for her family again.
When Delbert went to be with our Lord and Savior in 2011, life changed for Gay and she spent a lot of time alone, but worked to stay active. She joined a bowling league again, this time in Ulysses, Kansas. She loved bowling with her friends and looked forward to it every week. She also became active in her church, and helped with Bible School and anything else that needed to be done. One year for Christmas, the kids got together and got Mom a gray poodle named Princess that became her companion until the day of her passing. Gay was often seen walking all around Vilas with her little dog. Gay discovered about a month before her death that she had a very aggressive form of cancer. She died at home in her bed, surrounded by her family who loved her dearly.
Gay was preceded in death by both her parents, Ernest and Carlyn Mathena, Cliff Lee Glover, several of her siblings, her husband Delbert Coulter, a son Ray Glover, a stepdaughter Debbie Kay, two sons-in-law John Utley and Danny Cummings, a grandson Damien Greenlee, and a granddaughter Stacey Jo Glover. She is survived by her children, Debbie Greenlee and husband Max of Springfield, Carol Grahn and husband Greg of Springfield, and son Troy Coulter of Lakewood, Colorado. She is also survived by three step-daughters, Debbie Lynn Carlton and husband Gene of New Mexico, Della Cummings of Lamar, and Docia Cook and husband Alan of Walsh. Gay is also survived by 17 grandchildren, 31 great grandchildren that she adored and her precious dog Princess.