All Obituaries

Services are scheduled for 10 am Friday, September 24, at Faith Baptist Church for Robert Lee Bratcher of Artesia, New Mexico. Mr. Bratcher, 77, died on September 14, 2021 at his home in Artesia. Michael Elliott will officiate at the services with burial to follow at Twin Oaks Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be Eric Smith, Jeff Smith, Colby Smith, Phillip Cates, Otis Yates, and Martin Green. Honorary pallbearers will be Sherrell Gurley, Doug Simer, and Tommy Cockrell. Visitation will be at...

Darrell Wayne Billington was born August 16, 1963 in Hobbs, NM to Larry and Myrna Billington. He spent his younger years in Tahoka, Tx with his mother and siblings. He later moved to Hobbs, NM and lived several years, until they Moved to Lake JB Thomas and he graduated from Gail High School. After graduating he came to Artesia and got his CDL. He then started working for Jim's Water Service where he met the love of his life Tamarah Stoneman. They were married in April 1991. They had four...

Funeral services are scheduled for 10:00 AM, Friday, September 10, at Trinity Temple Assembly of God for Socorro Leyva Garay of Artesia, New Mexico. Mrs. Garay, 91, died September 6, 2021 at Artesia General Hospital. Pastor Larry Rolan will officiate at the services. Burial will follow the services at Woodbine Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Christian Nielsen, Edwin Leyva, Nate Leyva, Brandon Knowlton, Manuel Guillen, Christian Carrera, and Carlitos Valnezuela. Socorro was born December 13,...

Graveside services are scheduled for 11 am Wednesday, September 15, at Woodbine Cemetery for Thomas D. Lewis II of Artesia, New Mexico. Mr. Lewis died on September 5, 2021 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jason Kraft will officiate at the services. Pallbearers will be Tom Lewis, Rix Lewis, Jamie Lewis, Russ Gail, Jason Campos, Mike Spencer and Nicholas Lewis. Thomas was born on September 26, 1970 in Frankfort, Indiana; the son of Tom Lewis and Pam Wyatt Lewis. Survivors include his wife Anna...

A memorial service is scheduled for 10 am Saturday, September 18, at West Main Baptist Church for Doris June Reiser of Artesia, New Mexico. Doris, 80, died on September 4, 2021 in Roswell, New Mexico. John Knight will officiate at the services. Cremation has taken place under the direction of Terpening & Son Mortuary. Doris was born on May 24, 1941 in Bokoshe, Oklahoma; the daughter of William James Lewis and Bessie Lee Bourne Lewis. She was married to Elvin Reiser on May 25, 1959 in...

Covan Grant Downs passed away peacefully in his home on September 1, 2021, after a long battle with cancer. Covan was born to Todd and Irene Downs on October 30, 1942, in Artesia NM. He had 3 sisters, Barbara Collins, husband Van, Delores Scrimshire, husband Wesley, Lillian Henderson, husband Bill. In 1959, when he 17 years old, he joined the Navy. While stationed in Long Beach, California he met and married his wife of 58 years, Karen Joyce Peterson. Together they had 3 children, 12...

Services are scheduled for 10 am Wednesday, September 8, at Trinity Temple Assembly of God for Manuela Calderon of Artesia, New Mexico. Mrs. Calderon, 70, died on August 29, 2021 in Artesia. Bobby Argo will officiate at the services with burial to follow at Woodbine Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Ramon Calderon, Manuel Calderon, Joe Calderon Pedro Calderon, Martin Calderon, Carlos Renteria, and Miguel Renteria. Visitation will be at Terpening & Son Mortuary from 1 to 6 pm on Tuesday. ...

Jimmy Frank Devine, age 72, went to his heavenly home on August 29, 2021. Cremation has taken place under the direction of Terpening & Son Mortuary. A small service will take place at a later date. Jim was born January 13, 1949 in Artesia, NM to Frank and Evelyn Devine. Upon graduation from Artesia High School in 1967 he joined the United States Navy and was aboard for three cruises during the Vietnam war. He married his high school sweetheart Garilyn Elizabeth Tidwell in 1969 and from this...

Leonard Morris Witcher, age 99, WWII veteran and public educator, passed away Saturday, August 28, 2021 surrounded by his family. A military honors ceremony will be performed in Roswell at the General Douglas L. McBride Veterans Cemetery at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8, followed by a memorial service at First Baptist Church of Artesia at 2:00 p.m. officiated by Ty Houghtaling. Leonard was born April 24, 1922 in Quitaque, Texas to J. T. Witcher and Ada (Morris) Witcher. His family later...

A memorial service is scheduled for 10 am Friday, September 3, at Harvest Fellowship for Allan Wilbourn of Artesia, New Mexico. Allan, 69, died on Friday, August 27, 2021 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. David Brunson will officiate at the services. Cremation has taken place under the direction of Terpening & Son Mortuary. Allan was born on July 22, 1952 in Blythe, California; the son of Jay Wilbourn and Nadine Barnes Wilbourn. He graduated from high school in Las Cruces, NM. He then...