Lula "Lou" Inez Faircloth

Memories of a long life lived well...A journey from covered wagons to iPads. Lou was born in Voss, Texas, the 2nd daughter of John Henry Newman and Lela Pearl Pepper Newman. After a fall on March 1, 2021, she passed peacefully in her sleep at home in the early morning hours of March 10, 2021 just 17 days shy of her 101st birthday. "When I was 2 years old Mama, Daddy, [big sister] Jerry and me started for New Mexico in a covered wagon. At some point we stopped in Shamrock, Texas, for Susie to be born. From there we traveled to New Mexico and lived in a dugout for a while. Mama had 3 babies on a dirt floor and poured boiling water on the walls to kill bugs. After that we lived in a tent for a while, but it got blown away in a storm. Then we lived with another family for a while. Daddy picked apples and Mama dried them. We grew cabbages. I pulled one up once to see what it looked like. We left New Mexico when [brother William Henry] H was 3 years old. We went by train and lived on the plains in Texas. There were only 2 houses there. We moved close to Stephenville and picked cotton. When I was 8 we moved to Glen Rose and I grew up there." When Lou was 21 or 22 she went home with friends to Mineral Wells, Texas, "got a job in a café and rented a room above the café." This was at the beginning of World War II. It was here that this Texas girl met her Louisiana soldier, Dexter Lee Faircloth. He was 30, she was 23. She says she was not too interested, but "he kept asking and we started going out." They married there and their son, Allen, was born in 1944, shortly before Dexter shipped out for WW II. Dexter had his son's name picked out, Allen Richard, for his 2 grandfathers. Lou and Allen lived with her parents during the war. Lou said if you said daddy, Allen would point at his picture on the wall. Dexter came home after two years. They lived in the Black Creek Community of central Louisiana where they rented a 2-room house near his family. "We were as happy as we could be in that little house." Their daughter, Carolyn Sue, was born there in 1947. Lou and Dexter were happily married for about 21 years until he passed from cancer at age 52 with all too much living left to be done. Lou, who had been a housewife, picked herself up, got her GED and went to work as a nurses' aide at Louisiana State Hospital in Pineville, Louisiana. For the last 13 years, Lou has made her home with granddaughter, Marianne, her husband, Keith, their daughter, Kellianne and identical twin sons, Will and Joey. The kids say "Granny used to babysit us...now we babysit granny." The whole family has no doubt that the reason Lou has had such a long, happy life is the loving home this busy, young family has provided. Acknowledgement also of the many hours Allen and his wife, Jo Ann, devoted to her medical care during several hospitalizations in her 90's. Also important, the many Sunday dinners with family, extended family, in-laws, outlaws and as Lou said, "Just ring Marianne and Keith's door bell... they will take you in." This family is very technology proficient. On Lou's 90th birthday she bought an iPad. The next morning she brought it down stairs and said, "Marianne you need to take this back to the store." Marianne said, "Why Granny, what is wrong with it?" She said, "Nothing, I couldn't put it down 'til 4:00 this morning." She was on her 3rd iPad when she passed. She loved Facebook, playing Skip Bow, Candy Crush, and Words with Friends as well as listening to her Primitive Baptist Church's services and music. This beautiful lady is survived by her son, Allen and his wife, Jo Ann; daughter, Carolyn and her husband, Mike; youngest sister, Leola; and baby brother, Royce Darrel and his wife, Bernice. "I was 18 when Mama got pregnant. I was so embarrassed. I said I will never love that baby. I dragged that baby everywhere I went. I loved him to pieces." She is also survived by 5 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild, in addition to several nieces, nephews, extended family, her beloved Primitive Baptist Church family, and several friends. She became more physically frail after age 90 but remained mentally amazingly sharp with excellent sight and hearing. Sadly, her 100th birthday celebration had to be cancelled, because of Covid-19, but she had a very good year. She was a loving mother and grandmother, devoted to family, friends and God. She loved life to the very end and while she was ready to depart this life she would often say "just not today". Recently she said, "I have dreamed of your Dad many times over the years. I could always hear his voice but could never see his face. Last night it was like he was down a long hallway and I could see him clearly. He looked up and saw me and said, 'I have been looking for you.'" He died in 1966 when she was 45. It is comforting to think this Texas girl is finally reunited with her Louisiana soldier, the love of her life. Someone has said: Never regret a day in your life Good days give happiness Bad days give experiences Worse days give lessons and Your best days give memories. How blessed are we to have known and been loved by this beautiful lady. This is a good best day! A graveside service is planned at Hebron Baptist Church, Black Creek Community, Monday, March 22, 2021, 10:00 a.m. with Reverend Richard Debusk officiating. There will be a family visitation at the church prior to the service at 9:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials in her name may be made to the organization of your choice. A Celebration of Life and her birthday is planned for March 27, 2021 at Grace Primitive Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. If you listen closely, you might hear angels singing.