[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 149 (Thursday, November 10, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12676-S12677]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO MR. EVERETT RAINS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I pay tribute to a great leader in 
public service, Mr. Everett Rains. Everett served as county clerk in 
Whitley County, KY, for 24 years. I first met him when I started my 
political career in Kentucky, more than two decades ago. Everett was 
known for his numerous acts of kindness and generosity. He inspired 
others to serve, including his own nephew Tom Rains, who succeeded him 
as Whitley County clerk.
  Last month, Everett passed away at the age of 88. He spent his career 
serving the people of Whitley County, and will be missed by all who 
knew and loved him.
  On October 26, 2005, The Williamsburg News Journal published an 
article highlighting Everett's contributions, caring nature, and strong 
character. I ask that the full article be printed in the Record and 
that the entire Senate join me in paying our respect to this beloved 
Kentuckian.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:


[[Page S12677]]



          [From the Williamsburg News Journal, Oct. 26, 2005]

    Family, Friends Have Fond Memories of Rains, Former County Clerk

                            (By Mark White)

       Everett Rains will undoubtedly go down in history as one of 
     the most successful politicians in Whitley County history, 
     but his nephew, current Whitley County Clerk Tom Rains, says 
     he will remember Everett more as a generous man that always 
     tried to help people.
       ``Many times at the Corbin hospital we would go visit the 
     sick men, who were his friends. If the men didn't have a pair 
     of socks on, that really bothered him the most,'' Rains said 
     Monday afternoon, unsuccessfully trying to choke back tears. 
     ``He would pull his socks off and give them to them. He would 
     leave and go home without any socks on. I've never seen 
     anybody do that before in my life; that was how generous he 
     was.''
       Everett Rains, who served as Whitley County Clerk for 24 
     years, passed away Saturday afternoon at the Oak Tree 
     Hospital in Corbin at the age of 88.
       ``He was a tremendous gentleman. They called him the best 
     politician in Whitley County, but it all came from his heart. 
     Everything came out of Everett's heart. He did things for 
     people out of his heart, not because he was county clerk. He 
     was just that type of person,'' said Tom Rains, who worked 
     for Everett for eight years before succeeding him as county 
     clerk. ``He treasured this office. He was a good county 
     clerk.''
       Everett Rains began his career in politics serving one term 
     as Whitley County sheriff from 1954 through 1957. At the 
     time, sheriffs couldn't succeed themselves, and Rains made a 
     failed bid for county clerk in 1957 against incumbent Ernie 
     Hickey. He ran again for county clerk in 1961, and was 
     elected to the first of his six terms in office. Rains was 
     unopposed in his bid for re-election during three of his six 
     terms, and left office in 1985. Kay Schwartz, who has worked 
     in the county clerk's office for nearly 31 years and who 
     worked for Everett Rains for 11 years until he left office, 
     described her former boss as an easygoing person, who never 
     raised his voice to any workers.
       ``He would always tell us in a kind way how things needed 
     to be done, or what he needed done. He never did anything to 
     humiliate you. He always wanted to help you,'' she noted.
       ``He was a very good man. He was always kind to people. It 
     didn't matter if they came in mad, they never left mad. He 
     always calmed them down, and took care of their needs. It 
     didn't matter what they needed, he always tried to help 
     them,'' Schwartz said. ``Even if he knew somebody was against 
     him, he was kind to them when they came in. He shook their 
     hand, and he helped them. It didn't matter to him. He was a 
     man that would turn the other cheek. He was always good to 
     people.''
       Tom Rains said some of his fondest memories as a child were 
     of he and his twin brother riding around with Everett as he 
     traveled the county buying and selling cattle.
       ``We used to come down and sit on the sheriff's counter. 
     While he was working we used to get to stay a few hours at 
     the courthouse. It was the biggest treat ever. He was a 
     special person, who made you feel so good,'' Tom Rains said.
       Everett Rains and his wife of 46 years, Delois, never had 
     any children. The couple didn't marry until they were 42 
     years old, Tom Rains noted. Still, the couple had a large 
     family, including seven nephews and five nieces.
       Everett and Delois attended 73 birthday parties for their 
     great-nephews and nieces in Tom Rains' family, only missing 
     one birthday party due to illness.
       Tom Rains noted that Everett had a great love for children, 
     period. ``There is probably not anyone in this county that 
     Everett Rains didn't buy a bottle of soda pop for when he was 
     young. Young boys would run to the county store when they saw 
     Everett coming down the road because they knew Everett would 
     buy them a pop. Every child everywhere he went, he would give 
     them a quarter and in later years he would give a dollar to 
     every child he saw. He was really so generous,'' Tom Rains 
     said.
       In addition to being a politician, Rains was also an active 
     farmer, who raised crops and cattle on his farm near Dal Road 
     until last year.
       ``He had a real closeness to all the farmers in Whitley 
     County,'' Tom Rains noted Monday. ``Back in the '40s, '50s 
     and '60s, everyone had a milk cow; in Whitley County that was 
     the most valuable thing on your place. Everett would loan 
     people milk cows. So many people came to me today, and said, 
     'I remember when your uncle brought us a milk cow.' He didn't 
     ask nothing.''
       Rains said about a year ago, Everett suffered a bump on his 
     head that required surgery in Lexington for internal bleeding 
     in his brain. After the stint in the hospital, he developed 
     lung problems, and had suffered from pneumonia for the past 
     month until he passed away Saturday.
       Funeral services were scheduled for 2 p.m. today at the 
     Ellison Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Bill Mitchell 
     officiating. He will be buried at the Highland Park Cemetery 
     in the Davis Addition.
       The Whitley County Courthouse closed at noon Wednesday for 
     the funeral, and remained closed for the remainder of the 
     day.

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