Lena "Elaine" (Gonce) Boykin

Elaine Boykin, 80, went home on Friday morning, May 31, 2024 in her daughter's home with her daughters by her side.

Lena "Elaine" Boykin was born on November 22, 1943, to Worney Franklin Gonce and Lena Metilda Paulson-Gonce, in Breckenridge, TX. She was the ninth of eleven children.

On May 23, 1959 , she married Ronald Lee Lovell. They had four children, Ronald Dean, Linda Elizabeth, Rebecca Lucille, and Rhonda Lee. In March of 1981, they divorced and Elaine moved her daughters to Mart, Texas where she meet her second husband Floyd Earl Boykin. They married on November 14, 1981 and her family grew with five bonus children, Sherrie Lee, Ginger Ann, Mary Lyn, Samuel Floyd "Sammy" and Emmanuel Lloyd "Sonny".

During their marriage together, they had 14 grandchildren before Floyd's passing on December 2, 2005. Being from a large family herself, she loved having a big family. The only thing she loved more than her children were her grandchildren. When they were young, they would all try to climb in her lap at the same time for hugs and kisses, and loved to have sleepovers at Grannies house. She had a special and different bond with each of them.

The only thing she loved more than her family was cooking. She liked good music, dancing, singing with her family, canning, gardening, camping, sewing, and various craft projects. Elaine was a gifted seamstress. Her mother taught her how to sew at an early age by having her sit with her and thread needles for her. Elaine worked at several upholstery shops while raising her children. She started her own shop, Elaine's Upholstery, behind her house in Mart as a weekend side job from home and eventually it became a very successful business for a great many years. She had to close the shop in the late 90's to care for her husband.

Elaine is survived by two sisters, Nancy Lowe and Linda Neatherlin. Eight children, Linda Nottingham, Becky Roy, Rhonda Vanek and husband B.C., Sherrie Galloway and husband Chuck, Ginger Norwood, Mary Wade and husband Chris, Sammy Boykin-Deck, and Sonny Boykin-Deck. Nineteen grandchildren, D.J. Spampinato and wife Brandy, Derek Sites, Valerie Burrow and husband Clint, Michael Roy and wife Tish, Reajeanna Roy, Sarah Lancaster, Candice Bowdoin and husband Jordon, Levi Hamel, Sydney Haney, Cassie Erickson, Scarlett Vanek, Ashley Galloway, Belle Vanek, Jake Vanek, B.C. Vanek II, Charlie Vanek and wife Caitlin, Marcus Deck, Samuel Deck Jr., Emmanuel Deck and fifteen great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Lena. Brothers and sisters, Worney Cleveland, Louis Franklin, Anna Geraldine, Jerry Garland, Thelma Marie, Mary Ruth, Worney "Red" Franklin, Charles Ray Sr. Husband, Floyd Boykin, son, Ronald Dean Lovell, and granddaughter, Rebbacca Elizabeth Lovell.

A Memorial Service will be held at the First Baptist Church of Mart on Saturday, June 29, 2024 at 11:00 am. Burial service will follow with the Family in Gordon, TX.

A special "Thank You" to the staff of The Atrium of Bellmead, PT, Trent and Shelby, Accent Care and Hospice, Nurse Jasmine, and Littlepage Funeral Home.