NATCHEZ — Gloria Robinson Gaines, 77, transitioned into the arms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Jerusalem Baptist Church, 1333 Martin Luther King Jr. Road, with the Rev. Ernest Ford Sr. officiating.

Burial will follow at the Natchez National Cemetery under the direction of George F. West Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 4:30 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home and from 9:30 a.m. until service time Friday at the church.

Mrs. Gaines was born Jan. 24, 1933, the daughter of Hosey and Bertha Allen. She was a long-time member of Jerusalem Baptist Church where she was a member of the Missionary Society and served as a deaconess.

After a number of years as a dedicated City of Natchez employee, she retired from the Office of Veterans Administration.

She enjoyed reading, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; five brothers, George, Wesley, John, Peter and James; and five sisters, Mildred, Alberta, Ruby, Evelyn and Melinda.

She leaves to cherish and honor her memory her husband, Emanuel Gaines; two sons, Gregory Robinson of Natchez and S.L. Robinson Jr. and wife, Marilyn, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; three daughters, Linda Robinson of Upper Marlboro, Md., Patricia Royal and husband, Herbert, of Murphy, Texas and Victoria Martin and husband, Bruce, of Sanford, Fla.; 12 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews.