Ada Marie Blain

Ada Marie Blain of Bossier City, LA went home to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Saturday, July 20, 2019 at the age of 69. Ada’s legacy of love and faithfulness will have a lasting impact for generations to come. And while we can no longer pick up the phone to hear her sweet voice or sit down to one of her holiday meals, there is one thing we can still do with her anytime – worship the Lord!

The Holy Bible teaches us we are to “do all things to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) Ada took this to heart! As a treasured wife, mother and sister, she was the picture of biblical womanhood, joyfully and selflessly serving her family and constantly pointing them to the truth of God’s Word. Throughout her husband Walt’s demanding military and pastoral careers and in their retirement years, she demonstrated an unparalleled level of devotion as his helpmate and caregiver. As mom, she invested her time and energy in Bryan’s and Shilo’s spiritual education and many activities. When they were young, she loved to get outside with them and explore God’s creation, teaching them to love and care for it. As they grew, she would spend countless hours on her knees praying for their spiritual and physical needs, and was always ready with a listening ear and godly wisdom. Her children’s spouses became daughter and son “in-love” not just in-law, and she truly became “mom” to them as well. Her four grandchildren will remember hours spent playing Legos, dinosaurs, princess tea parties, water balloon fights and poppers on the 4th of July; and reading the Bible together at the kitchen table. Her sister Charlene - “Susie” - and many dear friends were immensely blessed by her faithful prayer support and lots of time spent together in Bible study, crafting, gardening, shopping or just fellowshipping over a cup of tea. Ada was an active and beloved member of Bellaire Baptist Church, teaching children’s classes, singing in the choir and attending every social she could. She never met a stranger, treating everyone she encountered with genuine care and concern. It was not unusual for her to come home from an errand laden not only with dusty, antique teacups but also with prayer requests from cashiers or waitstaff she had never met before. Even several stray, injured animals over the years were somehow drawn to her doorstep where they found a loving home.

One of Ada’s greatest earthly joys was gardening. If you never stepped foot in her garden, you missed a treat. Digging in the dirt just came naturally to this Midwestern farm kid. Anything with a hole in it that stood still long enough was eventually turned into a planter of some sort. In her backyard, lush tropical flowers, hearty succulents, creeping vines, bird feeders and southern blooms created an oasis in which she would use her hands daily and lift up her voice in worship of the Lord.

Romans 12:9-13 and following present the “marks of a true Christian.” It is impossible to read this passage and not think of Ada. “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

Ada did all these things so that she could know the Lord and make Him known. A tribute to her would not be complete without including the message of the gospel, so that someone who does not yet know the Lord may hear it and be saved. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) No person can follow God’s commandments perfectly. Jesus, the Son of God, is the only one who ever did that. The only way to receive forgiveness for sins – the breaking of God’s laws – is for each person to admit your own sinfulness, confess it before God, believe that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment you rightly deserved, and turn away from sin to follow Jesus for the rest of your life. He will give you the Holy Spirit to help you trust in Him and obey Him daily, and when you pass away from this earth, you will have eternal life with Him in heaven.

Ada was born July 15, 1950 in Dayton, Ohio to Charles and Bessie Huston. She married Walter Blain in 1970 in Fairborn, Ohio. She is survived by Walt; her son Bryan Blain and his wife, Whitney, of Fort Worth, TX; her daughter Shilo McLaughlin and her husband, Joshua, of Livingston; grandchildren Ben, Caden, James and Zoe; and sisters Charlene Crawford of Dayton, Ohio and Doris Sciremammano of Willimantic, Connecticut. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Robert; and two sisters, Ann and Carol. Services will be held on Friday, July 26 at Bellaire Baptist Church, starting with visitation at 9 a.m., followed by a Celebration of Life at 10 a.m. Burial will be at the Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are being provided by Hill Crest Funeral Home of Haughton. In lieu of flowers, friends are invited to make memorial donations at SamaritansPurse.org, OpenDoorsUSA.org or Cancer.org.