About Kitty Red

My name is Phyllis Louise Gaines Alexander, but everyone calls me Kitty Red. I do not know how I received the nickname Kitty Red. The red part of my nickname could be related to the red hair that I have. I was born on July 31st, 1949, in the City of Barstow to Bessie Lee Gaines and Willie Thomas Gaines Sr. A quick fact about me, I was not born alone on July 31st. My brother Phillip Louis “Bully “Gaines was also born on the same day. I am a twin! In addition to my brother Phillip, my mom gave birth to 4 other children. I attended local schools in Barstow. I regretted that I dropped out of high school during my 11th-grade year. When I was 15, I gave birth to my first son and added three more children to my life. I raised my children as a single parent, with income from the welfare program. As a teen and an adult, I lived with mental illness and abused alcohol. When I was 31 years of age, I stopped drinking and accepted Jesus into my life. On October 27, 1987, at the age of 38 years, I went home to be with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I would like to believe that I instilled a love of learning in my children. Many times, I would tell my daughter, Cynthia, “Education is the only thing that they can never take away from you.”