Corene Lucile (Reinolds) Houck was born September 28, 1927 to Roy and Stella (Sheets) Duck at the family farm home south of Avard, Oklahoma.

When out of high school, Corene worked as a telegrapher for the Santa Fe Railroad Company, taking and sending train orders by Morse code. She met and married Forrest Reinolds, an agent/telegrapher for the company as well. To this union, two daughters, Linda Cheryl and Sherry Rae were born.

Corene worked over 20 years as the school secretary/board clerk, first for the Hazelton, Kansas school system and then for the Attica School District before she retired. She cherished the comradery that developed with the many students and teachers through the years, giving her lifelong friends.

Always an outgoing, people person, she relished activities with various club and church groups, which included Eastern Star, Methodist Church, Twenty and Four Club, Pitch Club, Attica Art Guild, Quilting Club, Red Hat, Good Sam's Camping Club, and Lake Texoma Fire Auxiliary.

A gifted artist, painting in both water color and oil, Corene's paintings took grand champion prizes. She was an avid blue willow collector. And fishing, gardening, quilting, sewing, and crafting gave her countless years of pleasure, leaving treasured keepsakes for the family.

Corene's love of life and Christian faith kept her strong and saw her through years of personal illnesses and suffering. She survived cancer, two open heart surgeries, and fractures of the hip, wrist, and back. She lovingly served as a nursemaid to Forrest through his years of cancer treatment. After Forrest passed, Corene married Jess Houck and the two of them spent many happy years fishing for striped bass at Lake Texoma. Just as she took care of her first husband, she helped Jess through his years of alzheimer's. Her cardiologist and primary care doctors marveled at what a fighter she was, even in her late eighties.

Corene passed away at the Harper Hospital on February 17, 2017 at the age of 89 years, 4 months, and 20 days. Preceding her in death are her parents, Roy and Stella; her brother, Lonnie and his stillborn twin; her brother, Clifford at the age of ten; her sister, Alice Louise (Duck) Jacobson; her husband, Forrest Reinolds; daughter, Linda Nightengale; and her second husband, Jess Houck.

Corene is survived by her daughter, Sherry Grigsby and husband, David of Attica; son-in-law, Albin Nightengale of Kingston, Oklahoma; granddaughter, Angela Morante and children, Victoria and Austin of San Antonio, Texas; grandson, Neil Grigsby of Attica; grandson, Brandon Grigsby, his wife, Heather, and their children: Reese, Britt, and Kashley of Ashland, Kansas; numerous nieces and nephews of the Reinolds and Duck sides of the family; other family and many dear friends.

Friends may view and register from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

Funeral Service is at 10:30 a.m. Monday, February 20th at the United Methodist Church in Attica, Kansas with Pastor Ken Keeling officiating. Interment will follow at the Attica Cemetery.

Memorials may be given to the Autism Research Foundation or to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and may be sent in care of the funeral home.

Prairie Rose Funeral Home, 613 W 14th ~ Harper, Kansas 67058 is in charge of the arrangements.