Pioneer Settlers of New Mexico Territory (ePub)

I was born on April 18, 1940, in my parents’ home, on the Joel W. Curtis homestead.  My grandparents, Tony and Maggie Curtis now owned the place, and at that time my parents, Veolan and Carrie, were working with grandpa and Grandma, growing vegetables for market and raising pigs and a few head of cattle.  I was taught, from a very early age, family participation in hard work and, good Christian ethics.

My dad picked up extra work wherever he could find it.  He worked for both his brothers, Cara and Loyd, for the REA in Cloudcroft, on road jobs, etc.  when work be-came scarce and the small farmers were forced out of business, dad went to work at one of the Potash mines in Carlsbad, New Mexico.  We moved there in 1952 after school was out in May.

 In December of 1957, dad was laid off,  in the middle of my senior year, and we moved  back to Mayhill.   I graduated with two good friends and a cousin I had started first grade with.

In 1986, I attended Collage for one semester at Kearney State, in Kearney, Nebraska with a 4.0 average.  I held jobs from waitress, motel maid, bank bookkeeper, clerk and acting substitute supervisor in the San Juan, New Mexico State Social Services Office in Farmington, New Mexico, and clerks in Treasures Offices in Fairplay and Breckenridge, Colorado.

My greatest accomplishment was when I became a child of God through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  In serving Him comes my Joy.

On February 14, 1988 I married Jerry Ward in Monte Vista, Colorado.  We have eight children and nineteen grandchildren between us.  In May of 2004 we moved to Mountain Pine, Arkansas where we now reside.