Lois Wanda Cavasos

Lois Wanda Cavasos March 25, 1922 – December 27, 2022 Lois was born to Robert Henry & Goldie Vica Elliott at Tolar, New Mexico. She was the second oldest of 12 children. She married Houston Cavasos on July 11, 1940 and to this marriage was born 5 children. Rita Nell, Nora Marie, Janet Lois, Teresa Lee and Robert James. She is preceded in death by her parents Henry & Goldie: husband Houston: daughter Rita Nell: son Robert and her brothers: John Henry Elliott & Wayne Elliott and sisters: Irene Marshall, Natalie Olmsted, Alice Gossett, Betty Gossett & Burma Stark. She is survived by her children: Nora Garduno & husband Laurencio (Renny), Janet Corbin, Teresa Armstrong & husband Bryan. Grandchildren: Lauren Garduno & wife Ketta, Faustina (Tina) Scarborough, Rena Marr, Clint Corbin, Keith Corbin & wife Judy, Eric Armstrong , Kellie Brewer & husband Matt, Carisa Taylor & husband Lance, Monica Blair & husband Richard. Bobby Cavasos, Darrin Cavasos & wife Melissa, Mahala Gallegos & husband Anthony. Great Grandchildren and Great Great Grandchildren, Nieces and Nephews; too numerous to name but she loved each and every one of them. Sisters and brothers Joan Goyne, Rose Rector, Tommy Elliott and wife Mary Nell, Mary Burch and husband Loy. Sister in Law Thelma Elliott and Brother in laws Gene Olmsted and Clifton Gossett With such a large family growing up, all the children had chores to do and that gave them good work ethics; milking cows, separating the cream from the milk, working in the fields, canning food ‘including’ beef for the winter, and several other things. Lois got out of some of the morning chores that the other children had to do because she was in the kitchen making sack lunches for them to take to school. She went to Hebron School, which was a one room school, with the 5 oldest siblings. The family had one horse and the children took turns riding it to school, sometimes two at a time. She often spoke of being the “mom” for the older children. Her mom was busy with the youngest ones. It did cause some conflict once in a while. But being the oldest girl, it fell on her to help take care of them. They did get to play; Hop Scotch, Marbles and Kick the Can, to name a few. It wasn’t all work. They also enjoyed fresh Ice Cream made from all that good milk and cream. Lois became sick at 11 years of age. She had blood poising in her right leg. Dr Brasell lanced and drained it and sent her home. It took 6 weeks in bed before she could stand on it. She had a limp all her life because of it. She never let it slow her down. She met Houston when she was 15 and he was 20. They married on July 11, 1940. They moved to Moriarty, New Mexico in 1941, so he could work with his brother Ervan in his auto shop, and stayed there to the spring of 1942. Their first little daughter, Rita Nell was born January 31, 1942 and passed away on September 9, 1942. Houston was hired to drive a school bus from Barton to Stanley. They moved into a little log cabin west of Barton, living there for one school year and moved to a farm in the Estancia valley not far from the place where we children grew up. All of the family went to school in Stanley, Mom finishing her senior year there. Dad graduated 1937 and Mom in 1947. In 1957, she went to work in the cafeteria at Moriarty School, working there for 9 ½ years with five wonderful ladies, Lilly Mae Henson, Ruth Davis, Lois Larson, Celina Encinias and Florinda Encinias. They REALLY cooked the meals; pinto beans (a main stay) & other meats & veggies, made homemade dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls for dessert. Yummy!! School lunches are not that good any more. At home, she did that kind of cooking also, making doughnuts and fry bread to go with our pinto beans. She had a large garden, raising green beans, carrots, squash, sweet corn, rhubarb and much more. So in the fall she was canning and freezing the bounty. Also had an apple tree which still produces way too many apples, so she had to can them when she couldn’t get anyone else to take any more. Mom built a rock fence around the small house that she and Dad had built out of adobe blocks Dad had helped make. She piled the girls in an old red pickup and drove to Devil’s Backbone up by Galisteo, and there they picked up rocks just the right size for her to place and stack with concrete, to make a fence. This fence was put around the house to make a yard. She milked the cow, if Dad couldn’t, raised chickens and did that oh so nasty job of killing and dressing them when they got too old or stopped laying eggs. Lois was known for her rhubarb pies. When there was a pot luck, if she didn’t make it, she would get scowls, moans and why’s. She was a seamstress, making shirts for Dad and Robert and dresses for her daughters and herself. She also loved to quilt. Dad made her a PVC pipe quilting frame and it worked really well. She was a member of the Stanley Homemakers Club. They’d get together and get a quilt out in no time. She also dove into reupholstering the couch and chairs. Didn’t know how it was done but looked at the worn out material and remembered how she took it off in order to get the new one on right, using the old one as a pattern. She did her sewing on a Singer treadle machine and taught all of her daughters how to sew on it. Then in 1965 she was happy to get a new Necchi sewing machine that was powered with electricity; almost wore it out sewing for us and others. Dad and Mom often had company that stayed for a few days. Usually they were kinfolk and we kids were oh so happy to have someone to play with, oblivious to the fact that Mom was working hard to keep food on the table. She didn’t even complain, enjoying the talk and visit but in the kitchen most of the time. Mom’s faith was a huge factor in her life and ours. Her parents loaded up a school bus and drove to worship every Sunday. Her dad would read the Bible to the family at home. God was very important in their lives. Her sisters and brothers are strong Christians also. They have all passed this on to their families. There wasn’t a congregation of the Church of Christ in Moriarty so she piled all of us in a car on Sunday morning and drove to Estancia to worship. In 1952 a building was built just off Eunice Street in Moriarty, which is now the Senior Citizens Building. Mom had donated all of her egg money to help with funds to build it which was a small amount, but all she could give. Dad wasn’t going with us until a few years after the building was finished. When he started going this made Mom so happy. She didn’t miss services unless one of us was sick or was sick herself. She tried to follow the examples that are set in the Bible and the examples that her parents showed their children. She was a true and faithful and loving Christian woman! She was loved by so many here in the Estancia valley and by so many far away. She is missed so much already. Mom, thank you for teaching and loving each and every one! Funeral services will be held Viewing, Friday January 13, 2023 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Harris-Hanlon Mortuary and funeral services Saturday January 14, 2023 at the Moriarty Church of Christ at 10:00 am with Tommy Elliott officiating. Burial Will follow at the Stanley Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Lauren Garduno, Eric Armstrong, Clinton Corbin, Bobby Cavasos, Keith Corbin, and Darrin Cavasos. Honorary pallbearers will be all her Nephews and Nieces. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the Harris-Hanlon Mortuary.