Laura Lee Bivins

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Laura Lee Bivins, 85, of Gonzales passed away Wednesday, Oct. 11. She was born August 6, 1932 in Gonzales to Hoyet and Lillie Cizek Wilson. Laura was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church. She graduated from Gonzales High School with the Class of 1950. She had been active in high school playing defense on the girls’ three-on-three basketball team and she was a varsity cheerleader for the Apaches. Laura married her high school sweetheart Jerry Wayne Bivins on Dec. 20, 1953.

Laura worked for the City of Gonzales for nearly 20 years before going to work for Harrell Cattle Company as a bookkeeper. When the Harrell Cattle Company was sold, she went to work at Southern Livestock until she retired in 2004.

Certainly, Laura put in her time at work and was successful, but that was work, her real job was supporting her husband in his coaching career and her children and grandchildren in all their extracurricular activities. It was well established that Laura organized the other coaches’ wives and children on game day by providing a pre-game meal and driving everyone to the game. Woe be the fan in the stands that criticized the coaching staff or players within ear-shot of Laura, she was proud of the kids on the field and equally proud of their coaches.

Laura made all the games and meets and knew all the participants by name. She loved them as she did her own children and was excited to see them succeed and she provided inspiration when encouragement was needed. Laura would even take treats to the athletes her daughter coached who loved to see “Mimi” at their games and practices.

Laura was a caretaker; she cared for people as naturally as drawing a breath, if anyone needed care Laura was there. She delighted in loving and caring for her grandchildren, she liked to pick them up after school and shower them with love until their parent came to retrieve them.

Laura’s rules in her house superseded all her grandchildren’s parent’s rules. There were liberties at “Mimi’s” that her grandchildren celebrated even if their mom and dad were watching; “Mimi” was their champion. Once as two of her granddaughters came out of their seatbelts to settle an argument while “Mimi” was driving, “Mimi” got the traffic ticket for not having them “belted in”, to be sure, they never came out of their seatbelts again.

Laura loved sending cards for birthdays, Halloween, Christmas and many other occasions. She loved Christmas where she would gather all the grandchildren around to hand them their presents and she treasured moments where she could take them shopping to buy that special gift.

Laura was a delightful lady with an infectious laugh and heartwarming smile. She loved to read mystery novels and could complete most books in a single day. Sometimes, to her chagrin, she would get a book from the library and get two chapters into the book before realizing she had already read that book as she likely had read most of the mystery novels in the public library.

Laura also enjoyed working in her flower beds, she took great pride in keeping an immaculate home and took care of herself as well, always dressing tastefully with manicured nails and well-kept hair.

Laura was a wife, mother, Mimi and great-Mimi — her life leaves countless treasured memories for those she leaves behind and standard of love for those to pursue.

Laura Lee Bivins is survived by her loving family, husband, Jerry Bivins of Gonzales, daughter, Peggy Lyn Swierc of Floresville, son and daughter-in-law, David W. and Mona Bivins of Gonzales, sister and brother-in-law, Martha Lynn and Howard Eckols of Houston, brother and sister-in-law, Tommy and Kayla Wilson of New Braunfels, grandchildren, Coleman Swierc (Jennifer), Lauren Pena (Jacob), Jerret Swierc, Ashley Brunston (Bryan), Crystal Gray (Tim) and Bailey Bivins, great-grandchildren, Jake Pena, Ella Pena, Silas Pena, Charlie Swierc, Tilden Gray, Tinsley Gray, Cheyanne Brunston and Nolan Brunston. She is preceded in death by her parents and son-in-law, Sam Swierc.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, in Seydler-Hill Funeral Home with Rev. Diana Whitley officiating. Interment will follow in the Gonzales Odd Fellows Cemetery. Pallbearers: Coleman Swierc, Jerret Swierc, Jacob Pena, Tim Gray, Bryan Brunston, Will Hodges, Tim Eckols and Mel Scruggs. The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. Friday evening at Seydler-Hill Funeral Home. Memorials may be made in Laura’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, D.C. 20090-6011. Friends may sign the guest book by visiting www.seydlerhillfuneralhome.com. Services are under the care and direction of Seydler-Hill Funeral Home.

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