Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date ...
1978: A long battle with leukemia had left former New Mexico Gov. John Burroughs of Portales in a weakened state where he was unable to battle a lung infection that led to pneumonia and ended his life at 71.
His wife, Jean Burroughs, told The Associated Press that her husband had been in remission from leukemia when he died a few days earlier in a Dallas, Texas, hospital.
Members of the Burroughs family and associates of his from the Portales Valley Mills held a private graveside service for him at the Portales Cemetery. A public memorial service was scheduled for the following day at the First Presbyterian Church in Portales.
New Mexico Gov. Jerry Apodoca ordered all flags flown at half-staff in honor of Burroughs, a Democrat, who was governor from 1959-60.
1978: Clovis Postmaster Wayne Hancock was encouraging local residents to spiff up their mailboxes in honor of "Mailbox Improvement Week."
Postal customers were urged to "repair, repaint, and make other improvements to all mailboxes, particularly to those located along rural, city delivery curb line, and highway contract routes."
About 1,875 customers in the Clovis area were being served by four postal routes.
Rural mail delivery began in the United States in 1896.
Pages Past is compiled by Betty Williamson. Contact her at:
