Velva Bains was born on September 13, 1923 as the daughter of Vernon and Minnie Wyatt, on their ranch by Sedalia, Colorado. Minnie was a descendant of the Hier and Curtis families, both of whom were longtime residents of Douglas County and Vernon grew up in southern Colorado. Velva had two younger brothers, Tom and Alton, who she was put in charge of, "until they stopped listening to me."
She attended school in a one-room schoolhouse. For awhile they lived in the mountains and she and Tom had to ride their pony two miles to school everyday. She was a good student, was advanced a grade, and was still able to keep up with her classmates. Their life wasn't easy during the Great Depression, but they went on picnics, attended ball games and dances, and had more of a social life than most people do now.
She attended Colorado A&M College, which later became Colorado State University, where she received her teaching certificate. She taught school and worked at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal during the war, and also earned a degree in home economics. After graduating, she married Curtis Bains. They lived in Louisiana and Texas, as he was working in oil exploration, before they finally settled down outside of Sedalia, Colorado.
Velva and Curtis adopted two kids; Patricia (Pat) and Alton. After she and Curtis divorced in 1970, Velva moved to Castle Rock where she worked in the County Clerk and Recorder's Office for 18 years before retiring in 1988. Pat, now deceased, had one son, Cameron.
Velva had a winning and infectious smile and an ever-cheerful personality. She will be greatly missed by her many friends and relatives.
