Eugene “Gene” Carter
Services: Have been held.
Eugene “Gene” Carter, 67, of Roswell, died Sunday, Jan. 15, 2006, at Eastern New Mexico Medical Center.
He was born March 8, 1938, in Portales, to Louis and Elizabeth McClain Carter. He married Linda Woody on Sept. 16, 1991, in Roswell. He was a paint contractor and owned and operated the Gene Carter Airless Repair. He served in the U.S. Army and was a member of the 82nd Airborne Battalion.
Family members said he loved riding motorcycles.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother; and a sister.
Survivors include his wife; two brothers, Danny Carter of Phoenix, Ariz., and Bobby Carter (and wife, Virginia) of Oklahoma City, Okla.; four daughters, Delores Rutledge (David) of Stanwood, Wash., Gail Carter (Taylor Turner) of Roswell, and Gloria Gallegos and Shelly Gallegos (Joseph Sandoval), both of Clovis; a brother, Charlie Carter of Las Vegas, Nev.; four sisters, Louise Southern and Frances Northcutt, both of Elida, Elaine Walker and Violet Southern, both of Portales; 14 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
The Rev. Tulley H. Lee conducted the service.
The Roswell Veterans Honor Guard provided military honors.
Arrangements are by LaGrone Funeral Chapel in Roswell.
Elaine Abeyta
Services: 1 p.m. Monday at The Church on The Hill in Fort Sumner
Elaine Abeyta, 28, of Fort Sumner died Saturday, March 11, 2006, due to injuries suffered in an auto accident near Encino.
She was born March 19, 1977, to Danny Paul Bishop and Bea Northrup in Fort Sumner.
She was raised and attended schools in Fort Sumner and Bovina. She graduated from Bovina High in 1995. She worked for WW Construction on a road construction job near Vaughn. She also worked as a driver for Fort Sumner Transit.
She married Josh Abeyta on Feb. 14, 1998, in Fort Sumner.
Family members said she was a loving mother, wife, daughter, granddaughter, sister and friend.
Her daughter, Candace, also died in the March 11 accident.
She is survived by her husband; a daughter, Ashley Bishop of Fort Sumner; three sons, Anthony, Abel, and Terrance Abeyta, all of Fort Sumner; her mother, Bea Prather (and husband, Buddy) of Bovina; her father, Danny Paul Bishop of Artesia; five brothers, Darrell Bishop of Portales, David Bishop of Bovina, John Nelson of Portales, Pecos Prather of Bovina and Jim Bob Prather of Naples, Texas; her mother and father-in-law, Louis and Laura Abeyta of Taiban; her maternal grandmother, Dorothy Northrup of Melrose; and many other relatives and friends.
Anna Teeter will officiate services.
Burial is at Fort Sumner Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. today at Chavez Funeral Home in Fort Sumner.
Pallbearers will be David and Darrell Bishop, John Nelson, Pecos Prather, Jim Bob Prather and Eric Northrup.
Honorary bearers will be Windell Bridges, Jim Franks, Gary Northrup, Bill Prather, Larry and Bobby Williamson.
A memorial fund has been established for her children. Send donations to The “Abeyta Children Benefit Fund” c/o Citizens Bank, P.O. Box 490, Fort Sumner, NM 88119.
Arrangements are by Chavez Funeral Home of Fort Sumner.
Candace M.
Abeyta
Services: 1 p.m. Monday at The Church on The Hill in Fort Sumner.
Candace M. Abeyta, 9, of Fort Sumner died Saturday, March 11, 2006, in an automobile accident near of Encino.
She was born Sept. 21, 1996, in Fort Sumner to Josh and Elaine (Bishop) Abeyta.
Her mother also died from injuries suffered in the accident.
Candace was a second-grade student at Fort Sumner Elementary School.
Family members said like living in Fort Sumner, enjoyed sleepovers, a cold Dr. Pepper and pizza, listening to Britany Spears music and the “Sponge Bob Squarepants Movie.”
They said she was on the A/B honor roll, hoped to become a teacher and a volleyball player. They said she was always helping others and had a good heart.
She was a member of The Church on The Hill and the “Kids on the Move” children’s church.
Survivors include her father; three brothers, Anthony, Abel and Terrance Abeyta, a sister, Ashley Bishop; maternal grandmother Bea Prather (and husband, Buddy) of Bovina; maternal grandfather, Danny Paul Bishop of Artesia; paternal grandparents Louis and Laura Abeyta of Taiban; a maternal great-grandmother, Dorothy Northrup of Melrose; and numerous uncles, aunts, other relatives and her friends and classmates at Fort Sumner Elementary.
Anna Teeter will officiate services.
Burial will be at Fort Sumner Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Louis and Chad Abeyta, Franklin Gonzales and J.W. Daniels.
Honorary pallbearers will include Eddie Gonzales, students and faculty from Fort Sumner Elementary.
Visitation will be from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. today at Chavez Funeral Home in Fort Sumner.
Arrangements are by Chavez Funeral Home of Fort Sumner.
William E.
Faulkner
Services: 10 a.m. Monday at the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel.
William E. Faulkner, 75, of Portales died Friday, March 17, 2006, at his home.
He was born Jan. 23, 1931, in Rule County, Texas, to Katherine and James E. Faulkner. He married Iris Tibbenham on Nov. 14, 1953, in Ipswich, England.
He left school to work when he was 7 years old. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1948 at the age of 17. He retired from the Air Force in 1972 after almost 25 years. He served in Korea and Vietnam.
He was stationed at Cannon Air Force Base as an inventory controller at the time of his retirement.
He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Portales and served as an elder in the congregation for several years.
Family members said he had a great love for history, enjoyed building models and reading science fiction novels. He was also an expert marksman, family members said.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Mary Frances Faulkner; and his wife, who died July 21, 1999.
He is survived by a son, Dave Faulkner of Portales; two daughters, Sharon Faulkner of Portales and Roseann Wing (and husband, Joseph) of Las Vegas, Nev.; two grandchildren, Joseph Matthew and Crystal Marie Wing; and five brothers, Jack and James Ray Faulkner, both of San Antonio, Jesse Faulkner of Albuquerque, Hubert Faulkner of Amarillo and Stevie Faulkner of Slaton, Texas.
The Rev. Clyde Davis will officiate.
Burial will be at the Portales Cemetery.
Family members will serve as pallbearers.
Arrangements are by Wheeler Mortuary of Portales.
Louise Nicholas
Services: A private service will be held at a later date.
Louise Nicholas, 92, of Clovis, died Saturday, March 18, 2006 at her home.
She was born July 8, 1913, in Graham, Texas to John Henry and Ollie James Lasater.
She married Harlon Nicholas on April 13, 1936. They ranched n the Kenna community for more than 50 years.She was a charter member of Kenna Community Church.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a son, Lonnie Nicholas; three sisters; and a brother.
She is survived by a daughter, Elwanda Bell (and husband, Bob); a brother, Harlon B. Nicholas (Dotte) of Roselle, Ill.; two sisters, Nola Milsap of Portales and Mildred Richards of Lubbock; two grandsons, Robert H. Bell (Shelly) of Roswell and Joel Nicholas; and four great grandchildren, including Robert D. and Richard H. Bell.
Cremation has taken place.
Arrangements are by Steed-Todd Funeral Home.
Services Pending
Blanche Price, 75, of Portales died Saturday, March 18, 2006, at the Roosevelt General Hospital in Portales.
Services are pending with Wheeler Mortuary in Portales.
Benny Stockton, 68, of Portales, died Thursday, March 16, 2006, at Roosevelt General Hospital.
Born Nov. 1, 1937, in Clovis, to Bonnie and William T. Stockton, he played basketball at Clovis and Highland high schools and for Eastern New Mexico University, where he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees. He coached in Dora, and was assistant boys basketball coach and later head coach at Portales High School in the 1960s, and became Portales Schools athletic director in 1975. After retiring in 1990, he became ENMU assistant girls basketball coach.
He married Jimmie Lou Stroud on May 10, 1960. On June 21, 1979, he married Brenda Cook.
He was a member of the First Baptist Church, the Portales Country Club, the New Mexico High School Coaches Association and New Mexico Athletic Association.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a son, Ronnie Stockton.
He is survived by his wife; a son, Bill Stockton (and wife, September) of Alamogordo; a daughter, Kasey Ragan Stockton of Las Cruces; two grandchildren, Savannah Brooke Stockton and William Garrett Stockton; a sister, Sharon Janecka of Albuquerque; a nephew, Chris Janecka of Dresden, Germany, and his miniature schnauzers, Aimus, Annie and Abeni.
His son, Bill Stockton, and daughter, Kasey Stockton, will speak at the service, assisted by their friends David Bonner and Penny Sanders.
Burial will take place at Portales Cemetery.
Jimmy Vardeman, Clint Ramsey, Tom Buchanan, Eddie Stanfield, David Brooks, Bill Joy, Robert Haack and Richard Rowley will serve as pallbearers.
The family suggests memorial contributions to the Ronnie Stockton Memorial Scholarship Fund, in care of Portales National Bank, or to a local children’s home.
Arrangements are by Wheeler Mortuary, Portales.
Acencion Rubio
Services: 10 a.m. Friday, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Clovis.
Acencion Rubio, 93 a longtime Clovis resident, died Tuesday, March 14, 2006, at his home.
Born Oct. 30, 1912, in Santa Rosa, to Julio Rubio and the former Josefita Montano, he was raised in Santa Rosa. He married Eufelia Lucero in Santa Rosa on Sept. 24, 1932.
He served in the U.S. Navy as a seaman second class. He was honorably discharged on Oct. 14, 1945.
He and his wife moved to Clovis in 1944. A carpenter, he was employed with the Clovis Municipal Schools maintenance department.
He was a member of American Legion Post 25 in Clovis and Knights of Columbus Council 3205, a Fourth Degree Knight, a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church where he served as a Minister of the Eucharist and on the Church Food Committee. His family said he loved to hunt and fish.
He was preceded in death by his children Erma, Gene, Guadalupe Lopez and Erma Guerra.
He is survived by his wife; five sons, Antonio A. Rubio (and wife, Lucy), Julio Rubio (Esther), Alfredo Rubio (Gloria) and Eddie Rubio (Viola), all of Clovis, and Alberto Rubio (Christine) of Portales; a grandson raised as a son, Mark Rubio (Frances) of Clovis; three daughters, Cleo Duran, Clara Gonzales (Reyes) and Marina Sullivan (Jeremy), all of Clovis; a granddaughter raised as a daughter, Carolyn Rubio of Clovis; 47 grandchildren, 105 great-grandchildren and 67 great-great-grandchildren.
Frank, Mark, Stephen Acencion, Arturo and Julio Anthony Rubio, Francis Duran, Reyes M. Gonzales and Daniel Saiz will serve as pallbearers.
Honorary pallbearers will include Jeremy Sullivan, Thomas Bodine, Lalo Montano and his grandchildren.
The rosary will be said tonight at 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church.
Father Sotero A. Sena will officiate services. Burial will follow at 3 p.m. at St. Joseph Cemetery in Santa Rosa.
Arrangements are by Chavez Funeral Home, Santa Rosa.
Melvin Carrol Fitzgerald
Services: 2 p.m. Friday at Kingswood United Methodist Church, Clovis.
Melvin Carrol Fitzgerald, 81, of Clovis, died Tuesday, March 14, 2006, in Clovis.
Born Aug. 21, 1924, in Tokio, Texas, to John E. and Dillie Smith Fitzgerald, he grew up on a ranch near Plains, Texas. He graduated from Plains High School and attended Texas Tech College. He married Bettie Kathleen Starnes on April 25, 1943, in Tokio.
He joined the Army, and served with the 1279th Engineers in the Philippines and in Japan during the occupation following World War II. He farmed and ranched for several years near Plains. He worked for Clovis Production Credit Association for 20 years, retiring as president in 1984.
He was a member of Kingswood United Methodist Church. Family members said he loved his church, his family and his country, and his wife was the love of his life.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Johnnie; a nephew, Mike Loe, and a great-niece, Haley Helms.
He is survived by his wife; his son, Vic Carrol Fitzgerald (and wife, Kathie) of Zellwood, Fla.; his daughter, Sherri Kathleen Shipman (Garry) of Muleshoe, Texas; three sisters, Winnell Loe (Bob) of Canyon, Texas, Martha Palmer (Jack) of Plains and Linda Huddleston (Cordell) of Canyon, Texas; nine grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Melba Fitzgerald of Plains, and numerous nieces and nephews
The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Brad Reeves, Mark Scott and Rev. Ross Dunn will officiate services. Burial will be at 11 a.m. (CST) Saturday at Plains Cemetery.
Grandsons and grandsons-in-law Kent Reynolds, Sean, Tim and Todd Shipman, Steve and David Fitzgerald, Lance Coers and Jon Register will serve as pallbearers.
Memorial donations may be made to Kingswood United Methodist Church Memorial Fund.
Arrangements are by Steed-Todd Funeral Home, Clovis.
Sue Dennis Dean
Services: 2 p.m. Monday at Portales Cemetery in Portales.
Sue Dennis Dean, 64, of Roswell died Friday, March 10, 2006, at Eastern New Mexico Medical Center.
She was born on May 7, 1941, to Frank and Vera Brinson DeWeese in Dimmitt, Texas.
She married Harold Dean on Dec. 4, 1993.
As a teenager in Curry County, she was a barrel racer and was named Curry County Fair Queen in 1959. She was a member of Lake Tanglewood Community Church in Amarillo, where she played the piano and organ for 12 years. She was a member of the Texas Panhandle Model A Ford Club. While in Amarillo, she was employed by First National Bank, Pantex, Loewenstern Realty and Lake Tanglewood.
Eleven years ago, she moved from Indio, Calif., to Roswell, where she co-owned Dean Pool Co. and was a member of the National Pool and Spa Institute.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
She is survived by her husband; her children, Jan Alford (and husband, Scott) of Plainview, Texas, and Brad (Crystal) Dennis of Amarillo; stepchildren Pam (Mark) Anderson of Hobbs, Michele Monte of New Braunsfel, Texas, and Natalie (Dan) Bramley of Mesa, Ariz.; grandchildren Riley and Harrison Alford of Plainview, Texas, Ashlyn and Dayton Dennis of Amarillo, Richard Kristy and David Anderson of Hobbs, Nicholas and Xavier Monte of New Braunsfel, and Maddie and Autumn Bramley of Mesa, Ariz.; two great-grandchildren, Kylie and Andrew; a sister, Betty Lee (Richard) Lambirth of Portales; special friends Tom and Patsy Bunch; and numerous nieces, nephews and close friends.
Memorial donations may be made to the Cancer Center of Eastern New Mexico Medical Center, 407 W. Country Club Road, Roswell, NM 88201.
Graveside services will be held, and pastor Lindell Noble of Grace Community Church will officiate.
Arrangements are by Anderson-Bethany Funeral Home and Crematory in Roswell.
Kate Bennett
Services: 2 p.m. Monday at Portales Cemetery
Kate Bennett, 94, of Portales died Friday, March 10, 2006, at Heartland Continuing Care Center in Portales.
She was born June 7, 1911, in Franklin County, Texas, to Dollie and Robert E. Thurman, and had 11 brothers and sisters. She lived her entire life in west Texas and eastern New Mexico.
On Aug. 31, 1932, in Mount Vernon, Texas, she married Jodie Gurley. After a few years, they moved to New Mexico and came to Portales about 1941.
She married Jim Bennett on Sept. 18, 1958.
She worked at Portales Steam Laundry for many years. She collected dolls and enjoyed flower gardening, family members said, and she loved country music and always enjoyed senior citizen dances. For the past 10 years, she had been at the Heartland Continuing Care Center.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands; her 11 brothers and sisters; two daughters, Gracie Nix and Veda Joyce Bennett; a grandson, and two great-grandsons.
She is survived by four daughters and two sons-in-law, Dollie Craig and Rhonda Kay Bennett, both of Portales, Wanda (and husband Franklin) Levacy of Portales, and Dorthea (Terry) Nichols of Justin, Texas; nine grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
Scott P. Reeves will officiate the graveside service.
Pallbearers will be Dwayne, Steve and Frank Levacy, Jerry Nix, Clifford Lloyd and Kyle Trout.
Honorary pallbearers will be her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Harold “Tex” Darrow
Services: No services were held
Harold “Tex” Darrow of Santa Cruz, Calif., died Feb. 25, 2006, in Santa Cruz, Calif.
A Shamrock, Texas, native, he lived in Santa Cruz, Calif., for more than 50 years. He served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Yorktown in the Pacific during the Korean War. A member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, he was a letter carrier in Santa Cruz for 34 years, working mainly in the Ocean and Market streets areas. He was a member of the Santa Cruz Elks Club, the National Rifle Association and the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project. Family members said he enjoyed gardening at his plots at Trescony Park Gardens, as well as fishing and hunting.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Shilah Miller.
He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Lois of Santa Cruz; a brother, Dennis Dean Darrow of Portales; one grandson, and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made in his name to a favorite charity.
Arrangements were by Santa Cruz Memorial Chapel.
