How Charles Stanfield became popular

“We came to Clovis in 1945 for health purposes,” said Charles Samuel Stanfield. “Our baby girl, Beth, was born in Houston with asthma. Our pediatrician advised us to take her to a better climate. We took her to Dallas but she continued to have problems breathing. I saw in the Dallas newspaper an advertisement saying the Clovis News Journal needed a sports editor. I immediately called Dick Hindley and got the job on a month’s trial basis.”

“We spent a week at the Hotel Clovis and a week at Bert’s Court waiting for our house to be finished at 1105 Prince,” said his wife, Neva. “Stan loved the city of Clovis from the very first and said, ‘This is where I want to live the rest of my life.”

Charles Stanfield was sports editor for about a year, then moved up to editor when Ed Scarritt went to the Albuquerque Journal. Stanfield served as editor for 12 years and was co-owner of the Clovis Bowling Alley along with P.T. Garrison before being appointed to postmaster in 1960.

Stanfield was so loyal to this area that he told his children they could attend the college of their choice after the first two years at Eastern New Mexico University. He felt very keenly that people in this area should support their local college. He was a dedicated Christian and his children understood that if they weren’t able to go to church on Sunday, they weren’t physically able to leave the house.

Neva started her own kindergarten with the help of Mac McIsaac. “We furnished transportation and cared for the children of working mothers,” Neva said. “We had wonderful teachers and Mrs. Langdon Skarda came each Friday with a Bible story and brought the music and art to correlate with the story.”

Charles Stanfield bought the first station wagon in Clovis from Gateway Auto Co. The kindergarten kids loved to ride in that new station wagon.

Stanfield’s parents came to Clovis from Houston in 1947 to be close to their grandchildren. Grandfather W. W. Stanfield was instrumental in getting the Senior Citizens Center started in Clovis. The grandparents spent the rest of their lives here.

Charles Stanfield was born Aug. 24, 1908, in Chanute, Kan.

He grew up in Iowa and Missouri. He attended Northwest State College, Mayville, Mo., Louisiana State University and the University of Missouri, where he majored in journalism.

Stanfield died June 1, 1975. His burial was at Mount Olive Cemetery near Laredo, Mo. His honorary bearers were Dr. John Gregory, Merle Tinker, Phil Lyons, Clyde Newell, Harry Reisinger, Harold Phillips, Deb McCasland, Dr. V. Scott Johnson, Haskell Standridge, Chick Taylor Sr., and members of the Men’s Bible Class and Lodge No. 40 A.F.&A.M. Stanfield had been Chairman of the Curry County Republican Party.

Charles and Neva’s daughter, Beth, survived asthma after coming to Clovis. She married Dennis Hoy and both became physical education teachers. Both were graduates of ENMU. Their daughter Susan and her husband Artie McDowell with their two sons, Deke and Sam, moved here after Stanfield’s death. Son Bruce and his wife Sharon, and their children Sam, Lisa and Sean, lived in Arizona.

Don McAlavy is Curry County’s historian. He can be contacted at:

[email protected]