In Memoriam…
Madie (Reeves) Teel, 89, Hope, passed away on March 9, 2012 in Roswell. Madie was born January 11, 1923, in Alamogordo, the daughter of William Austin Reeves and Eula Woodson Reeves. She spent her early life at the family home in Elk. On February 12, 1941, she married George Olin Teel in Elk. She was a homemaker, wife and mother. She was a member of Hope United Methodist Church and was honored there for her longtime commitment and service. She served as president of Women’s Society of Christian Service and held various other offices. Her favorite thing was participating in the annual Methodist Bazaar. She was also a member of Yucca Cowbells, Wool Growers Inc, Cattle Growers’ Association, the AQ Chapter of PEO, and enjoyed playing bridge. Survivors include daughters Karen Allen (husband, John), Las Cruces, and Elnabeth Grau (husband, Wesley), Grady; six grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and sisters Eva Hendricks and Thelma Harwell both of Roswell; sister-in-law Kay Hart; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends including caregivers Branka Barrett and Jan Elisabeth.
William Dixon “Bill” Brockman, 83, passed away on March 19, 2012, at his home on the Tramperos Ranch southwest of Clayton. He was born September 1, 1928, in Roy, the eldest son of William D. “Mark” Brockman and Lucile (Pursell) Brockman. His grandparents came to New Mexico in 1909 to homestead near Mills. Bill attended school at Mills until the school was consolidated with the Roy school. After graduation from Roy in 1946, he drove a truck, moved houses and served a tour of duty in Okinawa. When he returned to civilian life, he met his future bride, Violet Atchley while completing his Civil Engineering degree at New Mexico A&M, now New Mexico State University. The couple moved to the ranch temporarily to help his father-in-law and never left. In 1960, Bill and Violet moved to the Tramperos Ranch, which was their home for the next 52 years. Bill’s Civil Engineering skills were used to develop the ranch. He designed a series of dams on the Tramperos Creek and built fields and a water system to irrigate the ranch and water the cattle. He and his father-in-law, Forrest Atchley, worked closely to develop the ranch into a well diversified farming, feeding and cattle operation. He was an active member of the New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau on the state and county level, serving on the State Board of Directors for many years. His work in agriculture was also his hobby. Bill is survived by his wife, Violet, three daughters, Cheri Goodan (husband Jon), Des Moines; Carol Wilson (husband Rex), Ancho; and Allison Tcherneshoff (husband) Bob, Miera; two sons, Bill Brockman (wife, Cathy), Miera and Forrest Brockman (wife, Ruth), Mills; two brothers, Jim Brockman (wife, Nelda) Dallas, Oregon and Larry Brockman (wife, Louise), Pine, Colorado; one sister, Judy McCallister (husband, Orville), Placitas; as well as five sisters-in-law, 21 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Ralph Ray Dunlap, 85, Lincoln, passed away on March 17, 2012 in Las Cruces. He was born on February 5, 1927 to E. T. and Beulah Dunlap in Melrose. He married Rosalie Chaulk Dunlap in Lordsburg February 9, 1947. Survived by Rosalie his wife of 65 years, son Wayne Dunlap and daughter Lois Coleman (husband, David); five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, one brother Kenneth Dunlap (wife, Carol), Willcox, Arizona. Ralph served in the Army Air Corp from 1944 to 1946. He was stationed near Kyoto after the atomic bomb was dropped. Ralph received his Masters degree in AG Ed from New Mexico State University in 1966. Ralph and Rosalie lived for most of their life in Lincoln County. Ralph was active in many things but loved to give credit to those he worked with. He served as Extension Agent for Lincoln County from 1950 to 1982. He then spent two years overseas as a sheep adviser in Tunisia. He was elected Lincoln County Commissioner, President of the Lincoln County Fair Board of Directors, President of the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Foundation Board, Masons and many other county and state committees. Ralph was active on the Lincoln Water District Board, the Last Escape of Billy the Kid Pageant, the Lincoln Preservation Board and many other boards and committees. He was well known by many members of 4-H, ranchers, farmers, apple growers and the wool growers in Lincoln County and across the state. He enjoyed woodworking, spinning and weaving wool in his later years. He was instrumental in starting Sheep to Shawl at the New Mexico State Fair as a way to raise awareness of the properties of wool. He won many distinguished awards but the most prized were all the friends he made through the years. The wealth of knowledge Ralph had at his fingertips will be sorely missed by his friends and those who want to know how things were done in Lincoln in the “old days”.
Editor’s Note: Please send In Memoriam announcements to: Caren Cowan, N.M. Stockman, P.O. Box 7127, Albuquerque, NM 87194, fax: 505/998-6236 or email: caren@aaalivestock.com. Memorial donations may be sent to the Cattlegrowers’ Foundation, a 501(c)3, tax deductable charitable foundation serving the rights of ranch families and educating citizens on governmental actions, policies and practices. Cattlegrowers Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 7517, Albuquerque, NM 87194.