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The family of Thelma Isner Gainer would like for all to celebrate her birthday with them by sending her a birthday card at P.O. Box 1, Elkins, W.Va. She will be celebrating a private birthday with her family.
Gainer, of Elkins, will celebrate her 95th birthday at the end of October. She was born in Elkins to the late Adonajah and Ocie Pearl Gordon Isner.
She graduated from Elkins High School with the class of 1946, where she was a sponsor for the band. On May 13, 1946, she was married to the late Glenn Gainer Jr.
They had eight children: four sons, Del (Janet) of Clarksburg, John (Susie) and Jay (Karen) and the late Phil (Tammy), all of Elkins; four daughters, Brenda Brown (Bill), Nancy Saffel (David) and Leslie Louk (Phil), all of Elkins, and Julie Cassara (Al) of Fairfield, N.J.
She has 17 grandchildren: Janelle Gainer, Toni Ness (Andrew), Alex Zopp (Bart), Seth Gainer (Devin), Nathan Gainer (Chera), Taira Gainer, Rob Saffel (Danielle), Heather Saffel (Crystal Higginson), Kurt Gainer (Lindsey), Ryan Gainer (Amanda), Mat Cassera (Ashley), Mark Cassera (Jamie), Ali Scott (Tyler), Amanda Cassera, Cody Gainer (Amber), Colby Gainer (fiance Elaine Ewigman) and the late Del Gainer II.
She has 22 great-grandchildren: Maya, Tory and Zane Paul, Alexander and Laurel Ness, Jarrette and Kaci Zopp, Railyn and Hayden Gainer, Victoria and Elijah Saffel, Kane and Kolt Gainer, Londyn and Brody Gainer, and Addelyn, Ainsley, Cameron and Carson Cassera, and Vivienne, Eleanor and Francesca Cassera. She will be adding another great-grandchild in February.
She retired from Heck's and also worked at the former Dairy-Delite. She and her husband also ran the concession stand at the Elkins Drive-In. She bowled with some of her best friends on the Thursday evening bowling league for years.
She has been a member of the Otterbein Methodist Church for more than 30 years.