D.L. Wheeler, 86
D.L. Wheeler, 86, of Roy died Monday, April 12, 2004, at Farwell Convalescent Center.
He was born on Sept. 6, 1917, in Sapulpa, Okla., to Ethel and Henry L. Wheeler.
He was raised on a cotton farm in Oklahoma. He married Nona Pearl Lucas on Dec. 24, 1938, in Stillwater, Okla. They moved to the Roy community in 1943. He worked as a ranch hand on various ranches in the area, operated a bulldozer doing road construction work and building dirt tanks and as a blacksmith making plowshares and branding irons. Family members said he enjoyed gardening. He was a member of the Roy Baptist Church.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Henry Wheeler Jr.; a sister, Norma Jean Wheeler; and by his wife.
Survivors include a son, David Wheeler (and wife, Elva) of Portales; three grandchildren, David Wheeler (Lisa) of Clovis, Bobby Wheeler (Sarah) of Portales and Reed Wheeler (Rhonda) of Clovis; eight great-grandchildren, Gina, Britni, Tommy, Tristan, Rebecca, Randy, Edwin and Christopher; two brothers, Bobby Wheeler of Tyler, Texas, and Earnest Wheeler of Osage City, Kan.; and a sister, Lena Klopenstine of Crescent, Okla.
The Rev. David Wheeler will officiate the services.
Arrangements are by Wheeler Mortuary of Portales.
Services are at 10 a.m. Friday at Wheeler Mortuary Chapel in Portales.
Rowland G. Betz, 61
Rowland G. Betz, 61, of Portales died Saturday, April 10, 2004, at his home.
He was born on Oct. 3, 1942, in Philadelphia, Pa., to Ruth Elizabeth and Alfred Rowland Betz.
He grew up in Pennsylvania and attended school in Ivyland, Pa. He then entered the U.S. Army, where he served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne. Upon discharge, he began working in construction. He married Mary Ann Varney on Nov. 28, 1964, in Ivyland. They moved to Red River in 1974.
He continued working in construction until December 1985, when he and his family opened “The Bullpen” restaurant in Red River. They owned and operated the business as a family until 1992, when they moved to Portales. He worked for the Ryan Dairy for five years.
Family members said he was a craftsman who enjoyed woodworking, fishing and hunting. He was an honest, generous man who was devoted to his family.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, Rowland G. Betz Jr. (and wife Cynthia) of Earth, Texas, and Steven Betz (Jennifer) of Aurora, Colo.; a daughter, Kimberly Samarron (Arturo) of Roswell; five grandchildren, Eric and Erin Samarron of Roswell and Ashley, Blake and Lauren Betz of Earth; two sisters, Linda Jones (Bert) of Hershey, Pa., and Ruth Elizabeth Brackin of Lakeland, Fla.
Arrangements are by Wheeler Mortuary of Portales.
The family will hold private services at a later date.
Natividad Jimenez, 71
Natividad Jimenez, 71, died Sunday, April 4, 2004, at her daughter’s home west of Portales.
She was born Sept. 7, 1932, in Camargo, Mexico, to Amalia and Edmigio Barajas.
Until January, she had lived her entire life in Mexico, in Jimenez, a town named for her husband’s family. She was married to Lorenzo Jimenez, who died after only six months of marriage. From that time, she made her home with her sister Maria’s family and raised her nieces and nephews as her own.
Family members said she was devoted to her family, cooking and working for their comfort all her life. She enjoyed cooking for weddings, doing yard work and gardening, and crocheting and needlepoint. She was a faithful member of La Iglesia de la Fe in Cristo Jesus.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.
Survivors include nieces and nephews, who, family members say, regard themselves as her sons and daughters: Jesus Jimenez of Commerce City, Colo., and Alejandro Jimenez of Portales; Elsa Jimenez of Portales and Teresa Jimenez of Moro Bay, Calif.; 37 grandchildren; a brother, Domingo Jimenez of Mexico City, Mexico; and three sisters, Maria Jimenez of Portales, Ascencion Jimenez of Mexico, and Virginia Jimenez of Clayton.
Burial will be at Portales Cemetery. Ernest Jaramillo will officiate.
Pallbearers will be Alejandro Jimenez, Roberto Jimenez, Henry Jimenez, Jesus Jimenez, Lorenzo Jimenez and Joel Jimenez.
Services are at 10 a.m. today at Wheeler Mortuary Chapel in Portales.
Richard E. Brazell, 71
Richard E. Brazell, 71, of Clovis died Friday, April 9, 2004, at Laurel Plains Healthcare Center in Clovis.
Service is pending with Chavez Funeral Home in Fort Sumner.
Natividad Jimenez, 77
Natividad Jimenez, 77, of Portales died Saturday, April 10, 2004, at home. Service is pending with Wheeler Mortuary in Portales.
Doris Elcine Bush Wright, 83
Doris Elcine Bush Wright, 83, died Friday, April 2, 2004, in Tomball, Texas.
She was born Aug. 15, 1921, in Floyd.
She was formerly of Portales and was preceded in death by her husband, James T. Wright.
Survivors include her son, Gerald L. Wright (and wife Peggy); a daughter, Della Scales; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.
Arrangements are by Klein Funeral Home of Tomball, Texas.
Services are at 10 a.m. today at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Portales.
Donald Ray “Okie” Alexander, 63
Donald Ray “Okie” Alexander, 63, of Clovis died Friday, April 2, 2004, at his home.
He was born Aug. 8, 1940, in Erick, Okla., to Lawrence Ray and Vada Jones Alexander.
He graduated from Muleshoe High School in 1959 and married Donna Elliott on Jan. 24, 1963, in Portales.
He moved to Clovis in 1964, owned Alexander Furniture Store from 1974 to 1984 and worked as a salesman for Lane Furniture Industries.
He was active in numerous organizations, including Committee of 50, Chamber of Commerce, Jaycees, United Way, New Mexico National Guard and Wildcat Booster Club, Hound of the Week at Eastern New Mexico University, and Southwest Roadrunners Association, and was an ENMU Greyhound Bench Club officer in 1980.
He broadcast CHS football on KWKA and coached Play Inc. football.
Survivors include his wife of the home; his mother, Vada Alexander of Muleshoe; a son, Jack Alexander (and wife Jennifer) of Clovis; two daughters, Rachell Eshleman (Terry Howell) and Rene Alexander (Randy Smith), all of Clovis; grandchildren, Nicole Bennett, Jeremy Arms, C.J. Eshleman, Jordan Jones and Luke Jones; a brother, Curtis Alexander (Michelle) of Lubbock; two sisters, Clara Nell Smith of Gold Hill, N.C., and Sharon Dale of Muleshoe; a sister-in-law, Shirley Scott (Ellis) of Albuquerque; and a nephew, Steve Scott of Albuquerque.
Dr. Steve McElroy will officiate. Burial will be at Lawn Haven Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Rod Dickenson, Tommy Joe Smith, Gerald Clancy, Russell Muffley, Roger Forester and Jim Winn.
Honorary pallbearers are Southwest Roadrunner’s, employees of Lane Furniture Industries, Bobby Lewis, Dale Vaughan, Jack Tidwell, John Moody, John Gentry, Ray Sena, and his golf buddies.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Plains Regional Home Healthcare and Hospice, 2217 Dillon St., Clovis, NM 88101.
Arrangements are by Muffley Funeral Home of Clovis.
Services are at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the First United Methodist Church in Clovis.
Wayne Echelbarger, 82
Wayne Eugene Echelbarger, 82, of Clovis died Wednesday, March 31, 2004, at Laurel Ridge Healthcare.
He was born Oct. 13, 1921, in Yorktown, Ill., to Jess Lee and Ida Elsie Williford Echelbarger.
Family members said he served in the U.S. Army during World War II and fought at the Battle of the Bulge. After he was discharged from the Army, he married Jean Schneekloth on Sept. 21, 1946, in Sterling, Ill.
He worked for 30 years at Northwestern Steel and Wire Co. in Sterling, then for 10 years as a real estate agent at Century 21 in Phoenix, Ariz.
He moved to Clovis in 1998.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church and was active with the Senior Citizens Baxter-Curren Hall.
He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers.
Survivors include his wife, Jean, of the home; a son, Glen Echelbarger (and wife Chris) of Bothell, Wash.; a granddaughter, Rachael Echelbarger of Bothell; and a sister-in-law, Kathyrn Echelbarger of Mendota, Ill.
Services will be officiated by Dr. Steve McElroy.
Burial will be at Portales Cemetery, Portales.
Pallbearers will be Thurman Fullerton, Bobby Fulks, Dick Higgs, Cliff Masters, Bill Melton, and Bob Groves.
Military honors will be by U.S. Army Honor Guard.
Arrangements were made by Muffley Funeral Home of Clovis.
Services are at 10 a.m. Monday, The Chapel, 1500 Thornton, Clovis.
Tamara Smith, 28
Tamara Smart Smith, 28, died Friday, April 2, 2004, at her home in Portales.
She was born Dec. 19, 1975, in Hobbs to Vanessa and Charlie Smart.
Smith made her home in Hobbs until the fall of 2002 when she came to Portales to make her home with her father. In high school, she was on the volleyball and track teams. She was employed at Wal-Mart in Hobbs prior to working at a local radio station in advertising sales. She was a member of the Belleview Baptist Church in Hobbs.
She had been ill since early in 2003. Family members said she enjoyed writing her thoughts, sometimes as a story, or a poem, or as a record of what was happening around her. She also liked music and enjoyed listening and singing along.
Survivors include her husband, Kenny Smith of Lovington; a daughter, Hailey Towler of Artesia; her father and “special mother,” Charlie and Mary (Taylor) Smart of Portales; her mother, Vanessa Johnson of Woodward, Okla.; her “special sisters,” Misty, Sunnidae and Sandy Taylor, all of Portales; her grandparents, Willie and David Moorman of Clovis and Faye and Ellis Johnson of Woodward; and several aunts and uncles.
Ben Harrison and Sunnidae Taylor will officiate at the service. Burial will be in Portales Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Bobby Fisher, Harold Edwards, Maylan Parker, Fred Smith, Mark Cage and Les Dudley.
Honorary pallbearers are the Portales Police Force and the Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Dept.
Arrangements are by Wheeler Mortuary of Portales.
Service are at 2 p.m. Monday at First Baptist Church in Portales
Melton Chambers, 72
Mr. Melton Chambers, 72, of Portales, died Wednesday, March 31, 2004, at his home.
He was born on May 20, 1931, in Malpie, to Annie Belle and Monroe Chambers.
He grew up in the Raton area, where he attended school. He worked for a number of years in the oil business before entering the Army, where he served during the Korean Conflict. He spent much of his life working with his hands and caring for his family. Family members said he was a devoted husband and father who enjoyed his grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father, Monroe Chambers.
Survivors include his wife, Marion Ruth Chambers; two sons, David Chambers (and wife, Becky) of Texico and Rick Short (Linda) of Portales; two daughters, D’Lisa Barkley (Bo) of Trenton, Ohio, and Darla Short of Holiday, Fla.; five grandchildren, Stephanie, Kassandra and Dennis Short of Portales and Kelly and Sherita Barkley of Trenton, Ohio; his mother; and a sister, Peggy Harmon (Bobby) of Sun City, Ariz.
Urbano Ordonez and Scott Reeves will officiate the services.
Honorary pallbearers are all family members and friends, members of the New Testament Baptist Church and all his local Veteran friends.
Arrangements are by Wheeler Mortuary of Portales.
Services are at 2 p.m. Saturday at the New Testament Baptist Church in Portales.
Lorene Wherry Hallenberger, 92
Lorene Wherry Hallenberger, 92, of Oxford, Ohio, formerly of Portales, died Thursday, March 19, 2004, at Matrix Health Care Center in Oxford, Ohio.
She was born on June 19, 1911, near Tribbey, Okla., to Jesse Garfield and Besse Ivis Wharton Wherry.
She graduated from Hereford High School in 1928 as Valedictorian. She received a bachelor’s degree in education from West Texas State Teacher’s College, a master’s degree in English from the University of Michigan and later a master’s degree in library science from George Peabody College. She taught English in several schools in west Texas and Arkansas. She became a high school librarian in Portales. In 1963 she began teaching library science courses at Eastern New Mexico University. In 1976 she retired as an associate professor. She was a member of the Christian Church/Church of Christ. Family members said she enjoyed reading, music, cooking, gardening, travel and corresponding with friends and relatives.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband and a brother John.
Survivors include her daughter, Dorothy Benz (and husband, Bob) of Oxford, Ohio; four grandchildren, Glenn Benz (JoDale), David Benz, Marlene Benz and Anita Russell (Jerry); four great-grandchildren, Kara, Jessica and Nathan Benz and Brandon Russell; and a brother, Gerald Wherry.
Burial was at the Oxford Cemetery in Oxford. Ohio.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 644 Linn St., Suite 1026, Cincinnati, OH 45202 or Campus Crusade for Christ.
Arrangements were by Smith and Ogle Funeral Home Inc. of Oxford, Ohio.
Services have been held.
W.E. Dendy, 80
Mr. W.E. “Ed” Dendy, 80, of Portales, died Friday, June 18, 2004, at his home.
He was born on Sept. 2, 1923, in Olustee, Okla., to Bessie and Carl Dendy.
The Dendy family came to Portales from Olustee, Okla., in 1927. In 1943 he was drafted to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard until the end of World War II. He married Vera Elene O’Hair on June 18,1948, in Lubbock. In 1963 he bought a glass business in Bovina, where they lived for five years. He was a member of the Bovina Baptist Church and served as a deacon for the congregation. He lived in Portales since 1968. He drove trucks for Joe Ray and Welch Trucking before going to work for AMPI as a dairy supply salesman. He had been retired since 1988. He was a member of the University Baptist Church, and a lifetime member of VFW Post 9515. Family members said he dearly loved to fish, especially at Caballo Lake where he would stay for weeks at a time fishing for catfish.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Claude; and by his wife.
Survivors include three sons, Larry Dendy (and wife, Donna) of Lewisville, Texas, Joe Dendy of DeQueen, Ark., and Wade Dendy of Portales; a daughter, Judy Privett (Johnny) of Portales; five grandchildren, Robert and Brian Dendy, both of Lubbock, Christopher Dendy of Prescott, Ark., Lacey Dendy of DeQueen, Ark., and Eddie Privett of Portales; three great-grandchildren, Dillon Privett and Dalton Privett both of Portales and Zachary Dendy of Lubbock; two brothers, Kenneth Dendy of Lubbock and Jack Dendy of Portales; and three sisters, Marie Isabel of Hobbs, Imogene Monroe of Alamogordo, and Lou Slavey of Phoenix.
Services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday at Portales Cemetery. Scott P. Reeves will officiate the services.
Honorary pallbearers are Robert, Brian, Christopher, Lacey and Zachary Dendy and Eddy, Dylan and Dalton Privett.
Arrangements are by Wheeler Mortuary of Portales.
Pedro Villanueva, 48
Mr. Pedro Olando (Pete) Villanueva, 48, of Portales, died Thursday evening, June 10, 2004, at Laurel Plains Healthcare Center in Clovis.
He was born on Nov. 22, 1955, in Villanueva to Mella and Alfonso Villanueva.
The Villanueva family moved to Portales in 1959. Pete attended the Portales schools and graduated from Portales High School in 1976. He loved sports, and went to all the football, basketball and volleyball games, where enjoyed watching his nieces and nephews play. He also loved to attend St. Helen Catholic Church and First Spanish Baptist Church. Mr. Villanueva was a very outgoing and friendly person who loved to visit and to have company.
He was preceded in death by his father on Sept. 30, 1991, and by two sisters, Jane and Dora Villanueva and a brother, Johnny Villanueva.
He is survived by his mother, Mella Villanueva of Portales; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Arthur and Valene Villanueva of West Jordan, Utah, and Steve and Sandra Villanueva of Portales; seven sisters and brothers-in-law, Josie and Tony Jaramillo Edgewood, Stella and David Lucero, Vickie and Danny Gonzales, Rosalie and Adam Pacheco, Corine and Pat Gonzales, Becky and Fabian Lopez and Annette and Tony Salguero, all of Portales.
The Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 1 p.m., Monday at St. Helen Catholic Church in Portales.
A prayer service was held 7 p.m., Saturday at Wheeler Mortuary Chapel in Portales. The Rosary will be recited at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at St. Helen Catholic Church.
Friar Tobin Hitt will be celebrant.
Burial will be at Portales Cemetery.
Tony Jaramillo, Jr., David Lucero, Jr., Danny Gonzales, Jr., Adam Pacheco, Jr., A. J. Villanueva, Joshua Gonzales, Eric Padilla, Fabian Lopez, Jr., Tray Salguero and Jonathan Smith will serve as pallbearers.
All of his brothers-in-law will serve as honorary pallbearers.
Arrangements are by Wheeler Mortuary in Portales.
Alton “Jack” Dewbre, 94
Mr. Alton “Jack” Dewbre, 94, of Portales, died Wednesday, June 9, 2004, at Heartland Continuing Care Center in Portales.
He was born on Oct. 10, 1909, in Brownwood, Texas, to Etta and Alvey Dewbre.
He grew up in communities of Texas and Oklahoma. He married Roxie Mae Huskey on Oct. 7, 1933, in Ryan, Okla. The family lived in various places before moving to Portales in 1954. He worked in farming for many years and in the city for a short time before retiring at the age of 72. He enjoyed visiting with family and friends about old times and was an avid gardener.
A luncheon will be served at 11:30 a.m. at the Church of God Fellowship Hall on 1427 E. Amazon in Portales.
He was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Doc, Mack, Milton and an infant; two sisters, Velma Dewbre and Syble Wilds; and by his wife.
Survivors include two sons, Jerald Dewbre (and wife Catherine) of Fort Sumner and Billy Dewbre (Kathy) of Rio Rancho; a daughter, Jean Lambert of Portales; a sister, Dorothy Jean Roundy of Moore, Okla.; nine grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
Services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Portales Cemetery. The Rev. Donald Hay will officiate the services.
Burial will be at Portales Cemetery.
Honorary pallbearers are all family members and friends.
Arrangements are by Wheeler Mortuary of Portales.
