Lorraine Wilson, 81, passed away Tuesday, November 17, 2009, at Christus Hospital St. Elizabeth in Beaumont.

She was born in Oilton, Oklahoma on August 2, 1928.  Lorraine had a successful career as a Registered Nurse and retired as supervisor of Pediatrics at Baptist Women and Children Hospital of Beaumont in 1973.  She was registered with the Cherokee Nation and was very proud of her family’s Native American heritage.

After moving full-time to Port Bolivar in 1985, Lorraine spent most of her time fishing with her sisters, Blanche, Mildred and Ruth.  They were known on the North Jetty as the flounder fishing experts.  When she wasn’t fishing, Lorraine was busy cooking her seafood recipes that won her two grand prizes in the Beaumont Enterprise and Journal Recipe Contest.  She was an acclaimed seafood cook and an accomplished seamstress.

Lorraine is survived by her sisters, Mildred Peevey and Ruth Tawater; daughter, Phyllis Bjerke and her husband Richard; son, Sam Gray and his wife Lynn; son-in-law, Bill Busier; stepchildren, Mary Kay Martinez and George Wilson; grandchildren, Pamela Bjerke Nelson, Rick Bjerke and his wife Gretchen, Karron Swartz and her husband Tom, and Katy Busier; great-grandchildren, Jake, Brooke, Morgan, Truett, Zoe, Piper, Kelley, Paxton, Paige and Wilson.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Josephine and Joel King; step-father, Bill Flessa; sisters, Ruby Belew and Blanche Ebner; brother, Melvin King; husbands, Samuel Alton Cravey, Jack Gray and John A. Wilson; and daughter, Lisa Gray Busier.

A gathering of her family and friends will begin at 12:00 p.m. Friday, November 20, 2009, at Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin, Beaumont. Her funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Friday afternoon at Broussard’s with burial to follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to the staff of Neurology ICU and 4 South, and special thanks to Wendy Terry.

Memorial contributions may be made to Arthritis Foundation, P.O. Box 96280, Washington, D.C. 20077.