In Memoriam …
Albert Lyon, retired county agent in Sierra County, passed away as a result of a heart attack on September 14, 2013 while trying to save his livestock which were flooded out as well as his home. He is surived by his wife, Jan, and daughters, Audra and Aspen. A memorial service will be held some time in October.
Sam L. Melendrez, 86, Deming, passed away September 22, 2013 at Mimbres Memorial Hospital. Sam was born February 13, 1927 in Doña Ana to Samuel and Erminia Ledesma Melendrez. He honorably served his country in the United States Army in WWII and during the Korean Conflict. Afterward he worked as an agricultural equipment salesman in the Southwest until his retirement. In Las Cruces, Sam was a member of the Doña Ana Sheriff’s Posse and in his spare time he enjoyed lapidary, gardening, hunting and working with his horses. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Beatriz Miranda Melendrez; his children: Samuel Patrick Melendrez (wife, Nina), Las Vegas; Imelda Veeder (husband, Elmer) Deming; Claudia Melendrez-Rel (husband, Ed), Albuquerque; Michael Melendrez (wife, Kari), Los Lunas; Faviola Martinez (husband, Manuel), Pojoaque; Mercedes McFerrin (husband, Rick), Burleson; Texas, Regina Goldhirsch (husband, Mark), Gilbert, Arizona; Lydia Zerwekh (husband, John), Parker, Colorado; 15 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren; sisters: Erma, Viola, Leah and Leva; brothers: Demetrio and David; many loving nieces, nephews, sisters in law, and brothers in law.
Michael L. Casados, 55, Taos, passed away unexpectedly on September 8, 2013. He worked the Questa Ranger District and worked for the US Forest Service for 35 years. He was an excellent steward of the land and an extremely active member of the New Mexico chapter of the Society for Range Management. He was currently serving as treasurer of the group. He has served in other capacities and is remembered as a tremendous person who cared for others and the land.
Tony Schmidt, 76, Lindrith, passed away on April 29, 2013. He was born on the family ranch in Ojito Canyon on January 13, 1937 to Antone and Ruhey Welch Schmidt. They came to New Mexico from Texas to homestead.Tony was a lifelong rancher recognized as an outstanding cattlemen and range manager. He was visionary in the stewardship of the land, wildlife and livestock. He was also successful at a number of oilfield services provided to oil and gas producers in the San Juan Basin and Lindreth area. Tony was a deacon in the Lindrith Baptist Church and a leaders in his community. He took the lead in planning and contructing a community cattle shipping facility with scales to serve the community in a 30 mile plus area, as well as a rodeo arena / recreation facility. He helped establish and maintain the Lindrith Charter School when the school district was closing the community school. Tony was a member of the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association for over 50 years and an active and committed property rights advocate. He was a humble man who lived by his work and quietly led by example. Tony is survied by his wife Darlene; sons Tony Lee (wife, Kimberlee) Schmidt, Craig D. (wife, Tisha) Schmidt; sisters Mary (husband, Jim) Mead, Durango, Colorado; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Richard Boyd, 90, San Juan County, passed away on September 16, 2013. He was born to Dick and George (Davenport) Boyd in Santa Fe on July 6, 1923. He spent the first part of his life in the Jemez Mountains, attending elementary school in Peña Blanca and graduating from Albuquerque High. After a semester at New Mexico State Univerity, he received notice from Uncle Sam and signed up for the US Navy. He became a Radarman First Class on the USS Geneva, troop/prisoner of war transport in the Pacific. When Richard was discharged from the Navy, he married Vera Mordasini, Brawley, California. They returned to New Mexico to work for Frank Bond & Sons, where he became cattle foreman working in the Valle Grande (now called Valles Caldera National Preserve) during the summers and on different winter ranches, from Santa Fe to west of Albuquerque. Other than his military service, a stint in Mexico, working on the AFTOSA Program for eradication of Hoof & Mouth Disease, and a winter in Colorado, Richard spent his entire life in New Mexico. In 1957 the
Boyd’s bought a farm and moved to Sile, across the river from Peña Blanca. After a couple of years, he moved to Chama for the first time, to look after steers on the Sargent country up the Chamita. When Richard was 65, they bought a ranch in the Largo Canyon. Richard was a member of the NM Cattle Growers, NM Farm and Livestock Bureau, served on the ASCS board, and was active in the Acequias wherever he lived. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Vera; his sister, Sally Hewitt (husband, Frank), Aptos California; daughters, Toni Broaddus, Magdalena/Chama; Linda Bierner, T or C; Molly B Manzanares (husband, Antonio), La Puente; son Richard (Buzz) Boyd (wife, Barbara), Sherman, Texas; 13 grandkids, 27 great-grandkids, and 7 great-great-grandkids, numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and so many good friends and neighbors.
David (Rusty) Russell McCall, 27, Timberon, lost his battle with NF2 on August 31, 2013 at home on the ranch, surrounded by family. He was born June 25, 1986 in Elko, Nevada. Rusty grew up on the Elko County family ranch, attending a one-room school 25 miles away until 8th grade. In order to attend high school 65 miles away, he boarded in Wells, Nevada, with family members and the Louise Lear family. He loved ranch life, riding, working cattle, hunting, and trapping. He learned old cowboy poems and stories on the ranch, many from his granddad. Rusty was the youngest poet to perform at the Elko Cowboy Poetry Gathering, and went on to perform throughout the West. The cowboy poetry and music community became a second family to him. He was a member of 4-H and FFA. He participated in junior rodeos and on the Wells High School rodeo team, riding in the bareback bronc event. Rusty attended CSI, studying water resource management. Rusty was diagnosed with a rare disease at age 20, known as NF2. He underwent brain tumor surgeries, chemo and radiation. The disease resulted in deafness, gradually causing many disabilities. Regardless of this, he still kept up a miraculous spirit and sense of humor. He enjoyed touring the ranch to see the cattle, became an avid collector of guns and hunting paraphernalia. He spent many hours conversing with friends and family via computer, and treasured the folks who took the time to communicate with him. Rusty leaves his parents, Deanna Dickinson and David Kendall McCall, paternal grandfather, William Lyndell McCall, sisters Terrill Knight (husband, Jeremy), Katherine Owen (husband, Greg), many aunts and uncles, his beloved nieces and nephews and numerous cousins.
Wynona Byrl (Willett) Arnett, 85, passed away August 31, 2013 in Pueblo, Colorado. Wynona was born December 19, 1927 in the family home near Guy to Alzo F. and Bessie (Cooper) Willett. Wynona spent her childhood on the family ranch. She started school at the age of three in the one-room Guy school. She graduated from Des Moines High School. She went to college at Highlands University in Las Vegas, New Mexico where she met and married Vernon Welch in 1949. Vernon’s job took them to live in many places: Elkhart, Kansas, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Broomfield, Colorado. After his passing, in 1983 Wynona married Phillip Arnett and returned to the family ranch near Guy which she called home for the rest of her life. She is survived by her son Kent (wife, Carol Jean) Welch, Raton, and daughter Suzanne (husband, Ted) Bennefield, Des Moines. Six grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Lamoyne “Granddaddy” Peters, 93, Capitan, passed away on September 4, 2013 in Rio Rancho. The only child born to Gilbert Eugene Peters and Chloe Alice Zumwalt Peters, LaMoyne was born in the Carrizozo hospital on July 10, 1920. He married Nona Opal Jones on June 2, 1941. He worked for the Capitan Light Plant, Southern Pacific Railroad, United States Forest Service and the United States Soil Conservation Service. LaMoyne and Opal joined the Capitan (now Angus) Church of the Nazarene in 1947. He served as a board member and trustee for Capitan Church of the Nazarene. He served as treasurer at the Capitan and Angus Church for 40 years. He was extremely active in the organization and operation of Nogal Mesa Ranchmen’s Camp Meeting, serving as general chairman and on several other committees. He was a chairman of the Angus Cemetery Association, served on the Capitan School Board, Lincoln County Planning and Zoning Committee, Lincoln County Agricultural Stabilization Conservation Board and Upper Hondo Soil and Water Conservation Board. Among LaMoyne’s passions was ranching. When his father gave LaMoyne the choice of purchasing a ranch or attending college, he chose the former. His life consisted of fulfilling his dream of having a prestigious herd of Hereford, Angus and crossbred cattle. He loved his family and worked to provide a legacy for future generations. LaMoyne was awarded the Outstanding Land Stewardship Award in 2004. On any given day, when asked how he was, he always replied, “I’m worse,” said with a twinkle in his eye, which earned him the nickname of Mr. Worse. He is survived by his wife Opal, his daughter, Peggy Glenda Armstrong (husband, Leslie); three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
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.