MACEDON MONTOYA JR., 76, of Las Vegas, N.M. died Friday after a long illness at the VA Hospital in Albuquerque.
He was born in Las Vegas, N.M. to the late Macedon Montoya, Sr. and Atanasia Blea. He was married at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Las Vegas, N.M. to Estefanita Montoya. He retired in 1985 from the Las Vegas Medical Center where he was employed in physical therapy for 15 years. He served as a deacon at Our Lady of Sorrows Church for 16 years. He was due to receive the St. Francis of Assisi Award from the Archbishop for his services to Our Lady of Sorrows Church. He was a cursillista, chaplain at the San Miguel Senior Citizens Center and the San Miguel Detention Center. He served Communion services every other Saturday and Sunday at one of the missions of Our Lady of Sorrows. He was a member of the American Legion, DAV, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and caretaker of the San Jose Cemetery for the past 20 years. He loved fishing and camping.
He was preceded in death by his parents, son, Gerald Polaco Sr.; and brother, Manuel Montoya.
He is survived by his wife, Estefanita Montoya of the family home in Las Vegas, N.M.; one grandson; and many other relatives and friends.
A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. today at Our Lady of Sorrows Church with burial to follow at San Jose Cemetery with full military honors.
Rogers Mortuary, Las Vegas, N.M., (505)425-3511.
Dated: December 7, 2004
LOUELLA RODRIGUEZ, 73, of Ranchos de Taos died Monday.
She is survived by her children, Casey Wurst of Los Cordovas, Susan Wilkerson of Clovis, Calif., and Loucinda Caress of West Covina, Calif.; brother, Fred Thorpe and wife Carol of Grover Beach, Calif.; 11 grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.
A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Rivera Chapel.
Arrangements by Rivera-Hanlon Funeral Home, (505)758-3841.
Dated: December 9, 2004
RUBY CASAUS, 94, of Albuquerque, died Tuesday. She was preceded in death by her husband, Trinidad Casaus. She is survived by her son, Rudy Montoya and wife Maria; sister, Sadie Ochoa; three grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends. A visitation will be held at 6 p.m. today with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Albuquerque. Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Immaculate Conception Church in Cuba with burial to follow at the Cuba Catholic Cemetery. Alameda Mortuary, 898-3160.
Dated: January 14, 2005
JOHN CHAVEZ, 82, of San Juan Pueblo, died Wednesday. He was born in San Juan Pueblo. He was an avid fisherman. He was a member of the U.S. Army from 1941-1945, where he fought for his country during World War II. He was preceded in death by his parents, Faustine and Maria Chavez; sisters, Nellie, Fannie, Rebecca and Maxine; and one brother, Ernest. He is survived by his wife, Carmel Chavez; brother, Alfred Chavez; sisters, Mary Siow and Tommi Cata; daughters, Mary, Jane, Rose, Juanita, Frances, Hazel, Irene, Sharon and Leila; son, Eloy Chavez; granddaughters he raised as his own, Nicole, Bianca and Roberta; and many other relatives. Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. today at St. John the Baptist Church with burial to follow at the San Juan Pueblo cemetery. Block-Salazar Mortuary, 753-2288.
Dated: January 14, 2005
JOE V. "JOE MAMA" QUINTANA 62, of La Mesilla died unexpectedly Monday. He was preceded in death by his parents, Antonio Sr. and Eduvigen Quintana. He was a member of the IBEW Local 611 for 27 years and worked as an electrician in Los Alamos. He was in the 101st Airborne Division in the U.S. Army. He was a wonderful father, husband and grandfather. He is survived by his wife, Debbie Quintana of La Mesilla; daughter, Lisa Quintana Pieniazek and husband John of the East Mountains; son, Thomas Joseph "TJ" Quintana of Italy; mother of his children, Esther Quintana of San Pedro; stepsons, Gabriel Roybal and wife Charity of La Mesilla and Christopher Roybal and wife Edwina of La Puebla; four grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; sisters, Amada Herrera of Riverside and Alice Martinez of Alcalde; brothers, Tony Quintana and wife Nora of San Pedro, Johnny Quintana of Riverside and Jimmy Quintana and wife Viola of Española; and many other relatives and friends. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Española with burial to follow at 3 p.m. at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. DeVargas Funeral Home of the Española Valley, 747-7477.
Dated: January 14, 2005
ARNOLD CRAGER STREAM, 86, of Santa Fe died Saturday. He was a graduate of City College of New York in 1936 and earned his law degree from Brooklyn Law and St. Lawrence University in 1940. Early in his career, he served as the youngest assistant district attorney for the southern district of New York. His career was interrupted by his service as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, then continued as an appointed judge in the Advocate General's Office in Le Havre, France, where he prosecuted war criminals. Upon his return to private life, he was hired by Eleanor Roosevelt, widow of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to administer the real property of the family at Val Kill, N.Y. He became counsel to the French Embassy, maintaining offices in New York, Los Angeles and Paris. His work in that connection resulted in the recovery of a series of Cezanne drawings that had been removed from his atelier in Aix-en-Provence on a claim of private purchase. It was during that period that he represented drug smugglers from Marseilles, which later became the basis for the movie "The French Connection." The trials raised constitutional issues that eventually were reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court and resulted in an expanded approach to searches and seizures and rights of privacy. Writing was his second love. He authored "The Third Bullet," "Until Proven Guilty," short stories, law review articles and a law series on tax and constitutional law. After retiring to Santa Fe, he spent four years as a volunteer archivist for the Palace of the Governors and six years at the Museum of Fine Arts, where he established its archives and processed more than 50 collections.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara; daughters, Jane Block and Abigail Weinshank; stepsons, Richard and Raymond Murray; five grandchildren; and many other relatives. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Hospice Center, 1400 Chama Ave., Santa Fe, N.M., 87505 or the Museum of Fine Arts Library, P.O. Box 2087, Santa Fe, N.M., 87504. Berardinelli Family Funeral Service, 983-4331.
Dated: January 14, 2005
Robert H. Martin
Growing up in Chicago, Robert H. Martin could not have known that the camera he received for his 12th birthday would lead him to New Mexico, where he enjoyed a prolific career and found a place among one of the state's most prominent families.
Martin, a former U.S. Army and Los Alamos National Laboratory photographer, died Sunday after surviving cancer for nearly three decades. He was 83.
"He was just such a fighter and so positive about life," his grand-niece Francie Miles said Monday.
Martin was preceded in death by his wife, Mela Ortiz y Pino, sister of celebrated New Mexico matriarch Concha Ortiz y Pino de Kleven. A recent biography of Concha's life includes dozens of Martin's photos as well as a chapter on his career and his connection to his wife's family. A look through the book's images is a journey back in time— family photos, fiestas, rodeos and religious processions from an era gone by.
"Basically, he captured a time in Santa Fe that is forever gone," said Ana Pacheco, who published "¡Concha! Concha Ortiz y Pino: Matriarch of a 300-Year-Old New Mexico Legacy," written by Kathryn Córdova. Martin attended recent book-signing events with Concha, Pacheco said.
As Córdova writes it, Martin joined the Army in 1946 and after basic training volunteered to become a photographer at Los Alamos National Laboratory, which was managed by the military at the time.
Shortly after the move, he met Mela Ortiz y Pino, and when the Army turned the lab over to civilian managers, Martin decided to stay with the lab rather than moving on with the Army.
"I had already fallen for Mela," Martin is quoted as saying. "So I made up my mind to remain."
Martin's work with the lab included a stint in the Marshall Islands, where he recorded the aftermath of World War II as well as new nuclear tests.
In addition to his 33-year career in Los Alamos, Martin spent considerable time documenting Santa Fe's culture and heritage, and he worked for the New Mexico Legislature and the United Press International, receiving a number of awards for his efforts. Former New Mexico Gov. Toney Anaya proclaimed July 15, 1986, as Robert H. Martin Day.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Dated: January 18, 2005
AURORA F. ARAGON, 92, of Springer died Friday at Colfax General Long Term Care Center in Springer.
She was a former resident of Las Vegas, N.M. She was born in Las Vegas, N.M. to the late Juan Batista Martinez and Rebecca Martinez. She worked for many years as a housekeeper at several motels. She was a member of the Immaculate Conception Church.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Victor Aragon; daughter, Rebecca Aragon; son, William Aragon; and brother, Ramon Martinez.
She is survived by her six grandchildren and many other relatives.
Cremation has taken place. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. today at the Rogers Chapel in Las Vegas, N.M. A funeral service will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Immaculate Conception Church with burial to follow at St. Anthony's Cemetery.
Rogers Mortuary, Las Vegas, N.M., (800) 479-3511.
Dated: January 18, 2005