Articles from the March 18, 2005 edition

Don McAlavy

I recently received an exciting letter from rancher Juanita Wallis at Quay. “I received a phone call from Bud Hefley on a ranch west of Tucumcari,” she wrote. “He was on Cloud 9. He heard of a woman in Texas who could witch for ( sense) unmarked graves.” A person who can “witch” for something is a person who can sense it without seeing it. “You guessed it!” Juanita continued. “Bud tried witching for unmarked graves in the old Hanley Cemetery. He found many unmarked graves.” Bud Hefley heard about Marjorie Lee Burnett’s myste...

Clyde Davis There it was — the surprise ending to an incredibly balmy winter, a late-season snowstorm greeting us as we arose on Tuesday morning. I personally had been aware of it since about 2 a.m. and, like at least one other person I know, became so excited I had a hard time getting back to sleep. If I had that section of time to do over again, I would go make myself a cup of cocoa and sit at the window watching. Oh, the value of hindsight ... They begin to show us what we are made of, however, these little surprises that... Full story

Eric Butler

- Wildcadettes earn trophies at nationals. There’s always something to prove, as long as someone is around to watch. That’s the approach the members of the Clovis High drill team, the Wildcadettes, took while getting ready to perform Thursday night at Rock Staubus Gymnasium. “I guess you could say it’s more relaxed,” senior team captain Jeffe’ Gendreau said before the show, which included routines from the drill teams at Gattis, Marshall and Yucca junior high schools. “In our mindset, a performance is a performance a...

Anniversary: Burton Bob and Hazel Burton of Corona celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on March 19 at Corona Recreation room. The celebration was hosted by family. The couple was married March 15, 1955 in Fort Sumner. They have four children, 17 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He is a general contractor. She is a housewife and part-time teacher’s aide. Wedding: Alexander Johnae Carissa Jobe of Sierra Vista, Ariz. and Kentreal Lamonza Alexander of Fayetteville, N.C. were joined in marriage Feb. 18 at S...

Anniversary Turner Leflar and Johnnie Mae Turner celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary Feb. 19 at their home in Portales. Forty-three friends and family members joined them for a brisket lunch. Leflar Turner and Johnnie Mae Newman were married Feb. 19, 1955 at the home of Dorsey and Edith Nash at Floyd. Their children are Kevin and Wendy Turner and Danielle and Karen Turner of Portales and they also have one grandchild. Birthday Fraze Joyce Marie Blakley Fraze will have her 90th birthday on Tuesday at the Heartland... Full story

Services: Have been held. Mr. Henry Ervin Hathorn Jr., 79, of Clovis, died Tuesday, March 15, 2005, at his home. He was born on June 19, 1925, in Clovis, to Henry Ervin Hathorn Sr. and Maggie Regina Cooper Hathorn. He married Maxine Craft on Jan. 26, 1951, in Clovis. He graduated from Clovis High School in 1943. He was a World War II veteran, serving as a paratrooper. He returned to the family farm after his tour in the service where he farmed until his retirement in 1990. He was also the owner of Clovis Hog Co. for 22...

Services:Have been held. Mrs. Katherine Jean Magness White, 70, of Farwell, died Tuesday, March 15, 2005, at Laurel Ridge Healthcare in Clovis. She was born on April 12, 1934, in Edinburg, Texas, to W. T. and Velma Magness. She married Joel Preston White on June 10, 1953, in Clovis. She was a homemaker after having retired in 1997 from Security State Bank in Farwell after 28 years. Family members said she loved her family and family gatherings and gardening. She was a member of the Hamlin Memorial United Methodist Church....

Services: Have been held. Novirene “Dick H.” Wallace, 89, of Clovis, died Monday, March 14, 2005, at Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis. She was born on July 5, 1915, in Killeen, Texas, to John and Dora Shope Hoover. She was an administrative assistant to P.E. and Pearl Jordan, Wesley Quinn, Judge Ernest Lokey, Dee Blythe, Julia Witherspoon, David Norvell and Billie Cox. Family members said she loved to garden. She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers; and a sister. Survivors include a son, Andy Wal...

Services: Have been held. Mrs. Maybelle Elaine Shults, 96, of Portales, died Saturday, Feb. 26, 2005, at Heartland Continuing Care Center in Portales. She was born on Dec. 28, 1908, Greenback, Tenn., to Rosa and W.E. Mills. She moved to Ranchvale in 1909 with her parents and two older brothers. She moved to Portales in 1960. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Portales and had been active in the Order of the Eastern Star. She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Charles L., William Leslie...

Services: Have been held. Mrs. Romaine Marie Richer, 85, of Clovis, died Saturday, March 12, 2005, at Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis. She was born on Sept. 13, 1919, in Cooperstown, N.Y., to Calvin and Leona Rogers. She married Harry Quaif on June 27, 1938, in Cooperstown, N.Y., and Clarence Richer in 1968. Family members said she loved to sew, knit and crochet, go for rides in her son’s V.W. convertible, spending time with her cat, Muffin, and cooking for her family. She was preceded in death by her parents; her h...

Services: Have been held. Jimmy Lee Thompson, 59, of Portales, died Monday, March 14, 2005, at Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock. He was born Aug. 8, 1945, in Artesia to Katie and Oscar O. Thompson. He married Barbara Jean Ensign in September 1997 in Marysville, Calif. He grew up in Artesia and Roswell. While living in Roswell he served for a short time in the National Guard. In 1963 he moved to Portales, were he worked as an auto mechanic at various garages. In 1966 he moved to California to live, and returned to Portales...

Services: Have been held. Robert Charles “Bob” Henry, 76, of Panhandle, Texas, died Monday, March 14, 2005 in Dallas. He was born in Center, Okla., and graduated from Amarillo High School in 1947. He graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma and earned a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma. He spent 37 years as a coach, teacher and principal in Clovis, Carnegie, Okla., Plainview, Texas, and Carlsbad before retiring from Portales. He was inducted into the Southwestern Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. He was a mem...

Services: Have been held. Gladys Stella Northcutt Polk, 97, of Clovis, died Sunday, March 13, 2005 at her home. She was born May 20, 1907, in Hermleigh, Texas, to John Henry and Lola Wesley Northcutt. She came to this area in a covered wagon and her family homesteaded in the Bellview area. She was a homemaker and mother and sold Stanley Products and Avon. Family members said she was an accomplished seamstress and gardener. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Jack Polk, a son, Don Rierson, 10 brothers and...

Services: Have been held. Mr. Raymond Durwood Swopes, 74, of Roswell, died Friday, March 11, 2005, at his home in Roswell. He was born on Aug. 24, 1930, in Melrose, to Edna and Walter Swopes. He graduated from Melrose High School in 1939. From 1949 until 1977 he was employed by the state Highway Department. On Feb. 16, 1961 in Melrose, he was married to Shirley Newlin. He was a member of the Baptist church. In 1977 he became a traveling theater manager for Commonwealth Theaters for New Mexico and west Texas. In 1992 he went... Full story

Services: Have been held. Wendell D. Horton Sr., 63, of Navajo Dam, died Monday, March 7, 2005, in Navajo Dam. He was born on May 10, 1941, in Clovis, to Willard K. Horton and Estelle Paddock. He married Sylvia Ellen Beasley on March 3, 1962, in Farmington. He worked in road construction until 1969, when he went to work for Phelps Dodge Cooper Mine in Silver City. In 1979 they moved to Wright, Wyo. where he was a coal miner for the Black Thunder Mine. The family then moved to Grant where he continued to mine coal for the Lee...

Services: Have been held. Mr. Tommy Hobbs, 60, of Portales, died Thursday, March 10, 2005, at Heartland Continuing Care Center in Portales. He was born on June 18, 1944, Richmond, Calif., to Dora and Elvin Hobbs. He was preceded in death by his father. Survivors include his mother; three sisters, Frances L. Dresie (and husband, Nathan) of Portales, Carol Frazier (Ken) of Oklahoma City, and Doralene Braun (Bill) of Hobbs; and several nieces and nephews. Burial will be at Portales Cemetery. Tom Gilmore will officiate the...

Services: Have been held. Mr. Odis Newman, 70, of Portales, died Thursday, March 3, 2005. He was born on April 15, 1934, in Lyndsey, Okla., to Lilly and Ovid Newman. He moved to New Mexico as a boy and attended school in Grady. He married Doris Jackson on Nov. 7, 1953. Not long after they were married, the telephone company transferred him from Portales to Farmington. In 1957, they returned to Portales to join his father in establishing Valley Electric. He retired in 1996. Family members said he enjoyed playing dominos and...

Services: Have been held. Mrs. Doris Newman, 69, of Portales, died Thursday, March 3, 2005. She was born on Sept. 28, 1935, in McAlister, to Maude and Raymond H. Jackson. She lived in the Clovis-Melrose-House-Ranchvale area as a girl. She graduated from high school in Ranchvale in 1953. She married Odis Newman on Nov. 7, 1953. They made their home in Portales for a short time before moving to Farmington. In 1957, they moved back to Portales. Family members said she was an immaculate housekeeper, an excellent cook and enjoyed...

Services: Have been held. Ronnica Lea Thomson, 34, of Clovis died Monday, March 7, 2005 at her home. She was born Nov. 13, 1970, in Clovis, to Bill and Janetta Miller Geisler. She married Mike Thomson on Aug. 7, 1993, in Clovis. She was a benefits representative for Clovis Municipal Schools and a member of Faith Christian Family Church. She participated in Relay for Life and was the honorary chairperson in 2004. She is preceded in death by her grandfather, Stacy “Pockey” Miller. Survivors include her husband; a daughter, Tor...

Services: Have been held. Mary J. Jackson, 89, of Dallas, died Saturday, March 5, 2005, at Denton Regional Medical Center in Denton, Texas. She was born on Jan. 18, 1916, in Grier to John and Zula Snowden Bender. She was preceded in death by her husband, Chester C. Jackson. Survivors include three daughters, Judith Jones of Amarillo, Jeanene Kennemer (and husband, Ken) of Double Oak, Texas and Wathen Strong (David) of Dayton, Ohio; and seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Burial will be at Mission Garden of...

Services: Have been held. Joe Martin Garcia, 40, of Fort Sumner, died Friday, March 4, 2005. He was born Jan. 14, 1965, in Albuquerque to Martin and Josie Lopez Garcia. He and his family moved to Fort Sumner in 1979, He graduated from Fort Sumner High in 1984. He worked for GEO Seismograph, Pendleton Gas Co., and Pueblo Conoco. He last was employed at ZLR Tire in Fort Sumner. He was a member of St. Anthony Catholic Church. Family members said he enjoyed fishing, cruising the Fort Sumner valley and visiting with his friends...

Services: Have been held. Kurtis L. Danforth, 42, of Matamoras, Pa., died Sunday, March 6, 2005, at Ocala Hospital in Ocala, Fla. He was born Dec. 25, 1962, in Portales to Gerald and Diana Caywood Danforth. He owned Danforth Contracting and was an 18-year resident of the Matamoras area. Survivors include his wife, Karen M. Paulison Danforth; a son, Dakota; and a daughter, Sierra Danforth, both of Matamoras; his parents; two brothers, Jerry Danforth (and wife, Tamara) and John Danforth (Lori), all of Portales; two sisters,... Full story

Services: Have been held. Mrs. Odetta Smith, 89, of Auburn, Calif., died Friday, March 4, 2005, at Hill Top Manor Rest Home in Auburn, Calif. She was born on May 29, 1915, in Bristow, Okla., to John and Carrie Taylor. She married Homer Smith on Aug. 20, 1932, in Portales. Family members said she loved to cook, can, and garden. She was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband; her father; her mother, Carrie Cleveland; her step-father, Grover Cleveland; a daughter, Lola Saganario;... Full story

Carrie “ShoSho” Benford Services: Have been held. Mrs. Carrie “ShoSho” Benford, 51, of Clovis, died Wednesday, March 2, 2005, at University Medical Center in Lubbock. She was born on Sept. 4, 1953, in LaGrange, Texas. She moved to Clovis in 1954 and worked as a childcare provider. She was a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church. Survivors include her mother, Pearlie Jones of Clovis; two sons, Jermaine Jones of Clovis and Lasha Jones of Houston; a brother, Donnie Jones of Houston, Texas; two sisters, Alvanita Dubose of Phoenix...