Flora "Nita" Chumbley

Our Gracious Lord has called home his daughter, Flora Juanita Deatherage Chumbley, on Sunday, January 13, 2008. “Nita” was born on March 26, 1916, to Lewis Campbell Deatherage and Martha Jane Smith Deatherage in Elida New Mexico. Her parents and grandparents were Roosevelt County pioneers who had moved to Eastern New Mexico in the early 1900’s when the area was opened to homesteading. Her father died in the flu epidemic in 1918, leaving her mother to raise three young daughters. Juanita graduated from Portales High School in 1936 and attended one of the first classes of Eastern New Mexico University, then known as Eastern New Mexico Normal School. During 1936-1939 she lived and worked at Camp Capitan, which was a depression era work camp in the southern New Mexico Mountains. On September 14, 1940, she married Coke Eugene Chumbley, the son of another Eastern New Mexico Pioneer Family. They had been married for 54 years when he died in June of 1994. Juanita was a resident of the Roosevelt Nursing Home in Portales, NM from July 1993 until she moved to the Ella Smither Geriatric Center in Huntsville, Texas in June of 2001, where she resided until her death. Juanita was a talented artist, painting many pictures which she left for her loving family. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, a sister Wennie Lewis Deatherage Russell Luttrell, and a brother Harvey Joe Creek. Survivors include daughter Linda Russell of Huntsville TX, son Lewis Chumbley and wife Marilyn of Huntsville, TX, daughter Lea Johnson of Huntsville, TX, sister Lillie Johnson of Russellville, Arkansas, brother Paul Creek and wife Mary of Carlsbad, NM, and brother Leroy Creek and wife Louise of Ignacio, Colorado. Also grandchildren Sandra Fitch and husband Greg of Santa Fe, NM, Viki Crawford and husband Walter of Albuquerque, NM, Debbie Strong and husband Bill of Portales, NM, John Russell and wife Marla of Houston, TX, James Russell and Cristina Crosby of St. Petersburg, Fla, Darren Chumbley and wife Patty of Houston, TX, Glenna Chumbley of Huntsville, TX, Jess Johnson and wife Yvonne of El Paso, TX, Margaret Johnson of Washington, D.C., David Little and wife Corinne of Lethbridge, Alberta Canada, Daryl Little of Denver, Colorado, Dawn Little-Goefert and husband Simon of Lausanne, Switzerland, 18 Great-Grandchildren, 10 Great-Great grandchildren, and numerous Nieces and Nephews. Visitation will be at 7:00 p.m. Friday, January 18, 2008 at Wheeler Funeral Home in Portales. Services will be at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 19, at the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Portales with Rev Walter Huber officiating. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery. Her family wishes to thank all of the friends and family for their love and support. Special thanks to the staff at Roosevelt Nursing Home, Ella Smither Geriatric Center, and Thee Hospice of Huntsville, TX. Memorial condolences may be made online at www.shmfh.com.

Flora "Nita" Chumbley

March 26, 1916 - January 19, 2008