Saturday, July 4, 2009

Deaths and funerals

Raymond Bush
1921-2009

Raymond Bush, age 88, a resident of Belen, passed away on Thursday, July 2. He was born January 26, 1921, in Cowgill, Mo. to Dick and Lillian Bush. He was their youngest child.

Mr. Bush moved to southwest Colorado as a teenager and began work on a registered cattle ranch. He loved cowboying and continued doing it until he was called into World War II. He served in the southwest Pacific Islands.

Mr. Bush was preceded in death by all of his siblings, Russell Bush, Jessie Matthews, LeRoy Bush, Ruth Ebby and Ralph Bush. Two grandsons, Rick and Javier preceded him in death.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Elizabeth Bush, of the family home; children, Linda Lou Townsend and husband, Richard, Kennon Bush, Minnette Bush and Ramona Hernandez and husband, Chico; six grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mr. Bush will be laid to rest during private services at Santa Fe National Cemetery.

Arrangements are being handled by Riverside Funeral Home of Belen, 418 W. Reinken Ave. An online guest register is available at www.riversideofbelen.com

Raymond C. Curtis
1917-2009

Services for Raymond C. Curtis, 91, of Cleburne, Texas, were conducted on Friday, July 3, in the Crosier-Pearson Cleburne Chapel in Texas. The Rev. Charles Payne officiated. Burial was in Bono Cemetery.

Mr. Curtis passed away Tuesday, June 30, in Ft. Worth. He was born September 15, 1917, in Ayldelotte, Okla. to Ethan Talmadge Anna and Lloyd Price Curtis. He married Mary Carter on March 11, 1946 in Los Lunas.

Mr. Curtis served in the U.S. Navy and was a pipefitter/sheetmetal worker for AT & Santa Fe Railroad. He was of the Presbyterian faith and was a member of the Alvarado VFW and Woodmen of the World.

Mr. Curtis is survived by his wife, Mary Curtis of Cleburne; children, Charlene Nichols and husband, Ronnie of Cleburne and Robert Curtis of Longmont, Colorado; grandchildren, Julie Dumas and husband, Erik, Warren Curtis and wife, Donya and Shelly Anderson; great-grandchildren, Hanna, Ryan, Lauren, Jerin, Raelei and Trinity; brothers, Roy W. Curtis and wife, Ruby, Kenneth Curtis and wife, Edith, Wilbur Curtis and wife, Hilda and Darrell Curtis and wife, Shirley and a host of other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his son, Roy Allen Curtis in 1984, three sisters and one brother.

Forrest Gene Everett
1926-2009

Forrest Gene Everett, 83, a resident to Belen passed from this world on Friday, June 26.

Forrest volunteered to serve in the United States Navy during World War II. He spent his entire enlistment aboard the U.S.S. Lunga Point CVE 94.

After his enlistment ended, he returned to Albuquerque where he joined his father at Rupert Plumbing and Heating Company. He was proud to tell everyone that he was the luckiest man in the world. He was able to work at a job he loved and for the same man, for over 40 years.

After his retirement, his greatest pleasure was to spend time with his family and pets Ruby and Lola. He never met an animal he did not love at first sight. He also enjoyed watching NASCAR racing and riding his bicycle through the neighborhood.

Forrest was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Y. Everett and his parents, Ermine Forrest Everett and Cleo Lily Everett. He was also preceded in death by his special companion, Fannie Mae Little.

Forrest is survived by his daughter, Hollie Blakesley and husband, David; granddaughter, Samantha Everett and her fiancé, Thomas H Taylor, Jr.; great-grandchildren, Christian, Nicole, and Daniel; sister-in-law, Justine Lemke and husband, David; niece, Charlotte Buckmaster and husband, Dave and cousins, Gary and Peggy Forbis, and numerous other members of the Forbis and Blakesley families.

Forrest was a member of the Episcopal Church. The family would like to express their gratitude to the following people - Dr. Richard Madden and the staff of the Presbyterian Health Center of Belen; Dr. Charles Combs and his staff; and the angels that comprise the Presbyterian Hospice program, in particular Pam Mares. The love and compassion you have shown us over the last 10 years will never be forgotten. Words cannot express our gratitude.

A celebration of Forrest's life will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, in the chapel of Riverside Funeral Home of Belen, 418 W. Reinken Ave. Private interment with military honors will follow at a later date.

In lieu of flowers please contribute in Forrest's name to Presbyterian Hospice, 8100 Constitution Pl., NE, Suite 400, Albuquerque, N.M. 87110. An online guest register is available at www.riversideofbelen.com

Doris Vesel
1930-2009

Long-time Belen resident Doris Vesel went to heaven to be with her husband, Bob, on June 9.

Born in New York in 1930, the great-great granddaughter of classical German composers, Robert and Clara Schumann, Doris inherited the musical and artistic creativity that ran strongly in her family.

As a professional marimbist, Doris toured with orchestras and popular radio shows in the 1940s and 1950s. Doris also enjoyed her role as organist and music director for many churches over 60 years, just retiring from the First Presbyterian Church of Belen last September, after 30 years of service.

Doris proudly married radio personality Bob Vesel in 1951, and they enjoyed over half a century together. The glow of pride in Bob's eyes was apparent in all that Doris accomplished — her music and art, driving an enormous school bus on icy roads, creating beautiful gardens of vegetables and peonies, camping and fishing excursions, and numerous musicals and events that she organized and directed.

After a cross-country move to New Mexico in 1974, Doris fell in love with the Southwest and began to paint its dramatic landscapes with photographic realism. Using the tiniest brushes, Doris created a celebration of color and detail to show every blade of grass, crevice of rock and shadow of cloud.

Her original oil paintings won the highest county and state honors, hung in the offices of Senators and were purchased by famous artists for their own homes. Yet it was not for others that she painted, "I need to paint... I paint for myself. It is the only thing in life that I have patience with."

Doris proudly carried on the German tradition of the "Christmas Krippe," a five-foot square scene of Bethlehem that sat under the tree during the holiday season. Every detail was created by hand, from the delicate stucco houses with dim lights inside, to the bustling vendor markets, shepherds tents and working waterfalls cascading down steep mountains. One year, her Krippe was displayed at Rancher's Bank of Belen, when Doris was named Artist of the Month.

Doris always enjoyed sharing her talents with the community and was honored in 2008 as an "Unsung Hero" by the Valencia County News-Bulletin.

A tenacious perfectionist and charmingly stubborn leader, Doris influenced all those she knew with her strong work ethic and positive attitude. Her life, like her paintings, was full of dimension, "I work for depth. If you don't have depth, if it's flat, then it is not even worth looking at."

Doris is survived locally by daughter Donna, husband Dan Suknot and granddaughter Erin. Daughter Crista and husband Ivan Pupulidy have recently moved to Idaho.

A memorial will be held in honor of Doris Vesel at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 18, at the Riverside Funeral Home in Belen 418 W. Reinken; come early for parking. A light lunch and celebration of her art will follow at the First Presbyterian Church of Belen. No flowers, please. An online guest register is available at www.riversideofbelen.com

Winifred White
1924- 2009

Memorial services for Winifred J. (Wink) White, 84 will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, July 11, in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel in Portales with Reverend Bob Myers, assisted by Kevin Warner, musician, of Del Norte Baptist Church of Albuquerque.

Memorial contributions may be made to the New Mexico Baptist Children's Home, 2200 South Avenue I, Portales, N.M. 88130.

Winifred Jean (Wink) White was born in Dozier, Texas, June 5, 1924, to Benjiman Franklin and Clara Eugenia McGee of San Jon, and died in her sleep in Albuquerque on May 8.

For some 40 plus years, Wink made her home in Portales, but had recently moved to Belen to be near to her daughter. Wink had retired as the control bookkeeper of Eastern New Mexico University Library with twenty-four years of dedicated service.

God and music and her children were the "center" of her life. Her love of music led her to many years as a choir member of the First Baptist Church in Portales. She and her "trusty horse" later became an active vocal member of "Sharing Hearts" and traveled to area nursing homes to continue to share her love of music with those entrusted to these homes.

In her spare time, she spent many hours sewing for her children, made numerous hand-pieced quilts and bedspreads and crocheted many beautiful afghans. She once commented that she had, "crocheted enough afghans to cover Roosevelt County."

The majority of her cooking was from scratch, and many fond memories were based around the family dinner hour, along with prayer, which in today's time is rare indeed.

You can't remember Wink without mentioning her many trips with friends and family to the Gaither Homecoming Events concerts. She could be best described as a "Gaither Groupie."

To her, these concerts, along with her extensive video library of such, were as close to a spiritual uplifting for her reason for existing as she could ever hope for. These were her "church services" when she was no longer able to attend.

She also was inspired by the many sermons of Pastor Bob and Kevin and the close relationship she held dear to her heart to and including her final days on this earth.

When Mother gave her love and faith to her children and friends, it was truly strong and deep. Though Mother has left the earthly bounds, she is truly "at home" with her family waiting with open arms at Heaven's Gate. The singing and rejoicing is one that her daughter looks forward to and can only say, "Welcome Home, Mama, I'll miss you and will cherish you for eternity, and see you later".

Wink is survived by her daughter, Arba Eugenia (Jean) Smith of Bosque; her granddaughter, Specialist Rhonda Jean Roth-Cameron, U.S. Army; her great grandson, Justin Lee Roth, Guthrie, Okla.; her great granddaughter, Akira Lajon Chappell (Joshua), Joshua, Texas; step grandchildren Jason K. (Bettie) Smith, Guthrie, Okla. and David W. Smith of Fruita, Colo.

Also surviving are many cousins, nieces, nephews and family friends throughout New Mexico.

Wink was preceded in death by her parents, Ben F. and Eugenia McGee of San Jon, New Mexico; most recently her only son, Benjiman F. (Ben) White, December 15, 2008; her brother, Preston (Bette) McGee, of Santa Fe; her sister, Ivohn (Warren) Graham of Oklahoma; and her son-in-law, Leon E. (Smokey) Smith of Bosque.

Local arrangements by Wheeler Mortuary, (575) 356-4455, in conjunction with Berardinelli Family Funeral Services of Santa Fe, (505) 984-8600.

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