Kay Morley

 

Elaine DeVinna Crane Baird

 

The Desert Sun

November 20, 2020

Elaine died peacefully in her Palm Springs home at the age of 100 years and seven months, surrounded by the love of her family and friends on November 17, 2020. Born Leona Elaine Winona DeVinna in Pocatello, Idaho, she was the fifth child and only daughter born to Lorena and Edgar DeVinna.

Professional life brought Elaine to Hollywood as one of the original "Goldwyn Girls," working with Danny Kaye in Up in Arms. She acted in countless westerns, where she exhibited her equestrian talents, including Six Gun Serenade, Trails End, and Campus Honeymoon, where she met her husband, actor Richard Crane. They had two daughters, Susan Crane, and Katherine Crane Hastings (Michael). Richard preceded Elaine in death in 1969.

Moving out of "the business," Elaine then applied her keen eye for fashion and worked in management with Bullocks Federated. Having retired from that years later, she was then re-hired to open the Bullocks Palm Desert store where she met her future husband, Lloyd Baird. Elaine also was a proud volunteer at Desert Regional Hospital up until her early 90's. She loved to travel, and would often surprise her grandchildren with soaps, lotions, shampoos, etc. from the various hotels she stayed in hidden in the pockets of clothing.

Although failing in health, nothing stopped her from exercising her right to vote and she proudly cast her ballot this November as she took pride in her civic knowledge. She will be remembered for her style, grace, and quick wit, along with her mantra of "always be kind, you never know what someone else is going through."

Elaine was preceded in death by husband, Lloyd. Along with her two daughters and son-in-law, Elaine is survived by three grandchildren: Allison Hastings Knowles (Travis), Lauren Hastings Ciulla (Peter), and Jonathan Hastings, and five great-grandchildren: Abby, Owen, Richard, Natalia, and Hazel.

Per her request, there will be no services. As Elaine often said, "everything's cool!"

 

MORLEY, Kay (Leona Elaine Winona DeVinna)

Born: 4/17/2020, Pocatello, Idaho, U.S.A.

Died: 11/17/2020, Palm Springs, California, U.S.A.

 

Kay Morely’s westerns – actress:

Code of the Saddle – 1947 (Bess Bentham)

Six-Gun Serenade – 1947 (Mary Saunders)

Outlaw Brand – 1948 (Laura Chadwick)

Trails End – 1949 (Laurie Stuart)

The Lone Ranger (TV) – 1949 (Mary Vance)

The Cisco Kid (TV) – 1951 (Sondra Lindsay, Martha)