Corinne F Stevens passed away February 24, 2012, in Surprise, AZ after a brief illness. She was born November 30, 1915, the daughter of Ethel Foote and Charles Wilson Foote, in Chillicothe, TX. As the daughter of a Methodist minister, she lived in many of the small towns of the Texas Panhandle, graduating from Quanah High School. She graduated from Texas Tech in 1936 and often recalled how her dad gave her a $1 for a week' lunches on campus. The Dust Bowl and Depression helped shape her into the self-reliant person she was. The last time she visited Grand Canyon and other Arizona natural wonders, she could still recall her family' camping trip to the area in 1929 in a Model A.

She taught school in small towns of the Panhandle, only two or three years older than many of her students. She married another young teacher and coach, John Stevens, in 1939 in Paducah, TX. They moved to Roswell, NM in 1947 and raised their two children, John and Cynthia, on south Lea Street. Corinne taught language arts for many years at North Junior High, Pueblo Junior High and Sierra Junior High.

After John' death and her retirement, Corinne decided to give traveling a whirl and she whirled in many places around the world for the next 25 years. She traveled from Scandinavia to Australia and all across the US. If there was a bus, train or plane that had a vacant seat she did her best to fill it. She took the grandkids on various trips, bridge friends to bridge tournaments all over NM, and continued to drive to her daughter' home in Iowa until she was 88.

She was an avid bridge player and faithful PEO sister. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Roswell and supported it faithfully. When she moved to Arizona, she joined the church family at Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church in Sun City West. She was a whiz at crossword puzzles and a Scrabble enthusiast who loved a good challenge (and she was usually right!). In fact, she beat the whole family soundly at Christmastime this year.

Her manner was always one of quiet dignity. She was an accomplished seamstress and had spent a lifetime making her and her daughter' clothes. Having started as the accompanist for all those early church meetings, she developed into a wonderful pianist and organist.

Corinne moved to Surprise, AZ with a sense of adventure, willing to make new bridge friends and meet new PEO sisters in a new city. She continued her travel with her daughter and granddaughter, the last trip to Iowa for Christmas. She still lived alone, drove occasionally and lived a great life to the very end.

She is survived by two children, her son John Stevens, Jr and his wife Dolores of Peoria, AZ and her daughter Cynthia Bartelma and her husband Jim of Runnells, IA. Five grandchildren survive: John Stevens of Humble, TX, Wendy Kilduff of Mansfield, TX, Greg Bartelma of Runnells, IA, Jeff Bartelma of San Francisco, CA and Katy Bartelma of Washington, DC.

She also had two great grandchildren, Austin Stevens of Katy, TX and Jack Kilduff of Mansfield, TX. A host of nieces and nephews scattered across the country also survive.

Services will be held in Livingston, TX at the Cochran Funeral Home on Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 2:00 PM. Interment will follow in the Stevens family plot at Forest Hill Cemetery. Any donations may be made to the Cowboy Bell scholarship program at the First Methodist Church 200 N. Pennsylvania, Roswell, NM, 88201 or to your favorite charity in her name.

Cochran Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Please sign our online register at www.cochranfh.com