Georgia Horne Lofton: In Memoriam

My fun, spunky, vivacious Aunt Georgia passed away unexpectedly yesterday. The world has lost a lady who was truly one of a kind. Her obituary, as well as some of my memories, follows:

Georgia Horne Lofton
(1937 – 2020)

Graveside service for Mrs. Georgia Lofton, 83, of Henderson, [Texas] will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, at Rusk County Memorial Gardens with Bro. Bill Kuykendall officiating. Interment will follow under the direction of Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home.

Mrs. Lofton passed from this life on November 29, 2020, at her residence. She was born in Winnsboro, LA to the late Dewey and Ethel Horne.

Survivors include her husband of 63 years, Bob Lofton of Henderson; son Aaron Lofton of Henderson; daughter April Wells of Henderson; sister Lillian Killen of Kerman, CA, sister Mary Brown of Lake Charles [correction: Lafayette], LA; brother John Horne of Winnsboro, LA; 7 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great-grandchild, as well a host of nieces and nephews, other family, and friends.

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My granny Ethel Horne lived next door to us growing up, and that meant I immediately ran across the yard anytime someone came to see her. I was always most excited for Aunt Georgia to visit. As soon as her red Buick pulled in the driveway, I couldn’t get over there fast enough. If it were during the school year, I sometimes went straight there from the bus. Aunt Georgia came from her home in Henderson, Texas — about 3.5 hours away — four or five times each year, and she’d stay several days. My parents had a large guest room, so Aunt Georgia and her husband Uncle Bob would spend the days at Granny’s house and then walk across the yard before dark and stay the nights with us.

Oh, how fun it was! Now that I’m older, I’m not even certain what we’d do. I suspect there were card games (probably Rook) among the adults, but what I enjoyed most was listening to the stories. Aunt Georgia could — and would — talk about most anything: memories of the past, current family happenings, and general gossip. Although an early bird, she’d stay up late on these visits. She’d laugh and carry on a lot of foolishness and be up by 5am the next morning for coffee.

Here are some of my memories of Aunt Georgia:

• Aunt Georgia’s favorite color was red. She wore red lipstick, had red phone/iPad covers, and often drove a red car.
• Aunt Georgia got a tattoo in her 60s — and way before it was the trendy, hipster thing to do. She told me she got it in winter so her pants would cover it up and so she could see how long it took Uncle Bob to notice.
• Aunt Georgia was a great seamstress. She and my mom had “sewing weeks” when they’d setup their machines on Granny’s porch and crank out dresses for me and Aunt Georgia’s granddaughters. Each time they finished an outfit, they’d hang it up on display. One of these weeks was so productive, a lady saw the clothes from the road and stopped her car thinking it was a garage sale.
• Aunt Georgia was an early adopter of technology. She dove into the internet in the early 2000s. She bought two of everything she needed in case she had a problem: two computers, two monitors, two printers, two iPads.
• Aunt Georgia was a voracious reader. She and my Aunt Mary collected library cards from around the country for access to as many ebooks and audio books as possible. Every time I got a new library card in my genealogical pursuits, I sent Aunt Georgia the number and PIN so she and Aunt Mary could max out another digital library account.
• Aunt Georgia could — and would — pinch you with her big toe. And she’d do it when you least expected it.
• I stayed with Aunt Georgia and Uncle Bob for a week during a few summers as a child. She bought me cheap candy toys from a local trinket store, treated me and her grandkids to a pizza buffet, and introduced me to weenie sandwiches. My favorite toys to play with at her house were Lincoln Logs, which Uncle Bob kept in the storage shed outside.
• Lunchtime at Aunt Georgia’s house was 10:45am, right before The Price Is Right’s final Showcase Showdown.
• Aunt Georgia taught me the phrase “tough titty said the kitty, but the milk’s still sweet.” I probably use it more than I should with my kids.
• One time Aunt Georgia and my mom thought it would be fun to take me and Aunt Georgia’s granddaughter Amber on an overnight trip to Baton Rouge. We fought like cats and dogs the entire time, and they never tried that again.
• Aunt Georgia brought me contraband toys — not so much to please me, but to irritate my dad. She gave me balloons even though he disallowed them (I’d cry every time they popped). One time, she bought me and Amber matching toy lawnmowers that made horrible grinding noises. My dad disabled mine, but left Amber’s in working condition.
• Aunt Georgia may or may not have shaved her head because she’d dyed her hair so much she couldn’t remember what its true color was.
• Aunt Georgia loved to travel. She, Uncle Bob, Aunt Mary, and Uncle Duffy took vacations together. I recall one to Washington, DC, and maybe another to a snowy location…? After Uncle Duffy died, she and Aunt Mary often went to California to visit my Aunt Lillian. They also had an Amtrak phase where they rode the train across the county along various routes.
• Aunt Georgia was not shy about asking what was on her mind. She and Aunt Mary were in peak form at one Johnston Family Reunion where they cornered attendees one at a time to ask whatever was on their minds. Being a curious child, I listened in on a few of these interactions. My dad calls it “putting someone on the witness stand,” and Aunt Georgia was the best at it.
• Aunt Georgia was an amazing cook. My dad especially enjoyed her liver and onions and meatloaf. It was the highest praise when he told me one of my pandemic meatloafs approached Aunt Georgia levels of greatness.
• Aunt Georgia loved her dogs. I remember two: Blaze Boy and Boots. My memories of Blaze Boy are vague, but her black schnauzer Boots came with her each time she visited Granny. She sewed Boots little tshirts and sweaters for winter, and when he became diabetic, she structured her daily schedule around giving him insulin shots, extending his life by many years.
• When my mom died, Aunt Georgia and Uncle Bob came to my parents’ house immediately. They cooked and cleaned and organized all the incoming food and dishes from community members. Aunt Georgia held it all together for me, because I couldn’t take care of any of it myself.
• Aunt Georgia loved Uncle Bob. They were married for 63 years, an outstanding example of commitment and loyalty.
• Aunt Georgia loved her family. Although I saw her most often away from her adult children and their kids, she always shared the good things happening in their lives with us. She cared for several of her grandchildren after school, and even some of the great-grands, too.

Aunt Georgia was an amazing lady. My life has been better by knowing her and having these precious memories. I’m praying for you, dear Lofton cousins, in your time of grief.