1999
Obituaries and Articles
Compiled by Marcena Thompson
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Las Cruces Sun News
Sept. 9, 1999
ACOSTA, Epifania Epi Ybarra ACOSTA
Died Sept. 8, 1999 at the age of 80. Born Jan. 26, 1919, to Felipe YBARRA and
Francisca ARCHULETA in Las Mesa. She married Jesus M. ACOSTA on Dec. 18, 1938 in
La Mesa. She is survived by two daughters; Gloria TELLEZ, Margie PROVENCIO, Jr.;
one son, Jesus ACOSTA, Jr.; three brothers; Jose, Manuel and George YBARRA; four
sisters; Lily GONZALEZ, Mary YBARRA, Chila ENRIQUEZ and Eduvjes RAMIREZ.
Interment at St. Anthony's Catholic Cemetery. Getz Funeral Home.
Oct. 5, 1999
ARRON, Elza died Sunday, Oct. 3, 1999 at the age of 79 at Casa Del Sol Senior
Care Center. Baca's Funeral Chapels.
Oct. 30, 1999
AXTELL, Francis L., 66, of Las Cruces died Friday at Memorial Medical Center.
Getz Funeral Home.
HAUPTMANN, Donald, E., 83, of Las Cruces died Thursday at La Posada, Mesilla
Valley Hospice. Baca's Funeral Chapels.
Deming
RUEBUSH, Eugene Wade, Sr., of Deming will be at Baca's Funeral Chapels. Died
Wed. at his home. Survivors include his brother, Stanley, Shelton and Oliver
RUEBUSH, all of Deming, and Ernest RUEBUSH of El Paso; three grandchildren; 10
great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
Nov. 10, 1999
ABMA, Paul C., died Nov. 8, 1999 in Las Cruces at the age of 66. Born on Nove.
20, 1932 in Kansas City, Missouri to Marcus M. ABMA and Chlora PHILLIPS.
Survived by his wife of 45 years, La Verne. Son, Curtis M. of Platte City, MO.,
daghter, JoLynn C. KHAN of DeSoto, Oklahoma City, OK. Intement at Mt. Moriah
Cemetery in Kansas City, MO. Getz Funeral Home.
Dec. 10, 1999
ADAMS, Delmar E., died Dec. 9, 1999 in Las Cruces at the age of 55. Born on Jan.
25, 1944 in Sidney, Nebraska to Roy and Lina COX ADAMS. Survivors include his
wife, Joyce, gour sons, Chauncey of Sidney, Chris and Cam both from Kearney,
Nebraska and Chad of Lead, South Dakota; two daughters, Cassandra VRUNCIK of
Omaha, Nebraska and Crystal STERLING of Sidney. Intement at Masonic Cemetery.
Baca's Funeral Chapels.
Dec. 20, 1999
WRIGHT, John Sterling died Dec. 7, 1999 in Las Cruces. He was born Nov. 23, 1914
in Marquette, Michigan to Morgan H. WRIGHT and Helen STERLING. John was raised
in Butte, Montana and was a graduate of the Montana School of Mines class of
1937. He worked as a mining engineer in Montana, California, Nevada, Colorado,
Idaho, Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah and Washington as will as in South Africa and
Rhodesia. John was a Marine in WW2 where he saw action on Okinawa and Ryuku
Islands. He was awared the Purple Heart and Good Conduct Medal. He was also an
inventor and author. During his years in NM, John worked in the potash mines in
Carlsbad from 1956-1968. He was president of the NM. Mining Association, board
member of the Taxpayers Association of NM, Foundation Development Council member
of the NM Tech Research Foundation, member of the Board of Governors of the
Western Division of the American Mining Congress, and Resident Manager of the U.
S. Borax operations in Carlsbad. John retired to Las Cruces in 1980 where he was
a member of the Disabled American Veterans, NM, Chapter 10 and the BPOE Lodge
119. He met Alice PESMAN in Montana and they were married in Idaho. They had
been married for forty-nine years when Alice died in 1997. John is survived by a
daughter, Jerri Jean, a son, Morgan and two granddaughters, Hallie and Rosie
WRIGHT. Getz Funeral Home.
Hillsboro
CHANDLER, Maurice DOUGLAS, 88, of Hillsboro died Saturday. Interment at Smiley
Baptist Cemetery in Smiley, TX. He was born Nov. 5, 1911 in Nixon, TX., and was
a rancher. Survivors include his wife, Pearl CHANDLER of Hillsboro; two sons,
Douglas CHANDLER of Houston, TX., and Clyde CHANDLER of Hillsboro; two
daughters, Jeanene CLEAVER of Atlanta and Beth QUIRL of Dublin, TX; one brother,
Elton CHANDLER of Albuquerque; 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Baca's Funeral Chapel
Cliff
SCRIVENER, Barbara P. 75, of Cliff, died Saturday at Gila Regional Medical
Center. Services are pending with Baca's Funeral Chapels.
Anthony
HARPER, Cecelia BARRAJAS HARPER, 34, of Anthony, died Sunday at her home.
Services are pending with Baca's Funeral Chapels.
Organ
TYLER, Jimmy, 60, of Organ, died Saturday at his home. Services are pending with
Baca's Funeral Chapels.
Dec. 27, 1999
LUCKY, Mrs. Betty died Dec. 24, 1999. She was born on May 16, 1925, in Dallas,
TX., the only child of R. A. and Thelma ALLEN
She was active in the First Baptist church of Las Cruces and for a number of
years she worked with the children in Sunday School and with University
Students. She also helped in a Saturday Bible Class for special children. She
enjoyed China painting, oil painting and also watercolor painting. She was
preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband, George of the
family home; daughter, Cheryl DEMILLE of Las Cruces; two grandchildren, Stanley
DEMILLE and Michelle DOWNS and her husband Paul of Dallas, TX. Interment at
Pleasant Hill, Cemetery, in Henderson, TX. Graham Mortuary in Las Cruces.
TELLES, Rafaela H. (Fela), 90 of Las Cruces died Dec. 25, 1999 at Memorial
Medical Center. She was born Oct. 24, 1909 in Las Cruces to Julio and Maria
HOLGUIN and was a life-long resident. Fela was a parishioner at St. Genevieve's
Catholic Church. Survivors include her husband of sixty years, Roberto G. TELLES
of their family home; her children, Maria G. CORTEZ, and Gabe TELLES of Las
Cruces and Michael TELLES of Albuquerque; two sisters, Josefa LOPEZ and Antonia
AVALOS; three grandchildren, Maureen CURTIS, Christine MC GEAGH and Roman
TELLES; one great-granddaughter, Erin CURTIS a godson and nephew, Father Juan
TELLES of El Paso, TX. Pallbearers will be grandson-in-law Thomas CURTIS,
nephews, Arturo and Reymond HOLGUIN, Angel REDE, Romon TELLES Jr., Raul URIBE.
Interment at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery. Getz Funeral Home, Las Cruces.
DAILEY, Mary T., 68, of Las Cruces, died Friday, Dec. 24, 1999 at home. She was
born on June 28, 1931, in Hartford, Conn., to Dennis Jo. O'BRIEN and Katherine
FINNIGAN. She is survived by her husband of 38 years, Frank DAILEY Sr., the
family home. Two sons, Frank DAILEY Jr., Thomas DAILEY. Two brothers, Dennis and
James O'BRIEN and by granddaughter, Meredith. Getz Funeral Home, Las Cruces.
BARNHART, Norvel BARNHART, 82, of Las Cruces died Saturday at Memorial Medical
Center. Services are pending with Baca's Funeral Chapel.
PHILLIPS
Graveside services for Carter PHILLIPS, 86, of Las Cruces, will be at Hillcrest
Memorial Gardens Cemetery. PHILLIPS died Sunday at Casa de Oro Care Facility. He
was a retired mechanic. Graham Mortuary.
Derry
GONZALES, Roberto GONZALES, 74, of Derry, died at home Friday. Services are
pending with Getz Funeral Home.
Hatch
MALDONADO, Francisca, 67, of Hatch, died Thursday, Dec 23, 1999 at Memorial
Medical Center. She was born on May 3, 1932, in Las Varas, Chihuahua, Mexico to
Jesus LUJAN, and Jesusita ORDUNEZ. She was a member of Our Lord of Mercy
Catholic Church in Hatch. She is survived by her five sons, Ruben of Yuma, AZ.,
Roy of Anthony, NM, Loy of Hatch, Armando and Oscar both of Las Cruces. Five
daughters, Adela REDDELL of Evans, GA., Elva MC NEILL of Yuma, AZ., Romie LUJAN,
Gracie WHITLOCK and Velia MUNOZ all of Hatch. Three brothers, Victor, Marcos and
Vicente also by 16 grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was
preceded in death by her husband, Rogelio MALDONADO. Interment at Garden of
Memories Cemetery, Hatch. Pallbearers are James WHITLOCK, Ruben, Armando, Oscar,
Roy and Loy MALDONADO. Getz Funeral Home, Las Cruces.
Las Cruces Sun News, Dec. 31, 1999
Bayard
GUTIERREZ, Ray, 74 of Bayard, died Thursday at Memorial Medical Center. Services
are pending with Bright Funeral Home.
Las Cruces
LARA, Dionicio "Don" C., 75, died Wednesday at Memorial Medical Center.
Survivors include his wife, Dora CHACON LARA of Las Cruces; sons, David LARA of
Richardson, TX., Lawrence LARA of Las Cruces and Dennis LARA of Tucson, AZ.,
daughter, Margaret LARA IBARRA of Las Cruces; brothers, Charlie LARA of Chino,
CA., Ned LARA of Coolidge, AZ., and Ruben LARA and Steven LARA, both of Las
Cruces; sisters, Chita GIL of Mesilla and Eva GARCIA of Coolidge, AZ.; 14
grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
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