Bettie Maples

Bettie Maples passed away peacefully in the company of family on Sunday October 30th, 2016 at Riverton Hospital in Riverton, Utah. A memorial service will be held to honor her memory at 11 AM on Saturday, November 19th at the Claunch Community Church in Claunch, NM with interment in the Claunch Cemetery. Immediately following the interment, a reception will be held for all friends and family at the Claunch Women's Club.

Bettie was born in Knox City, Texas on January 28th, 1937 to Charles and Ida Wade. Shortly after birth the family moved to Claunch NM where she grew up on her parent's dry land bean farm. Her stories about life on the farm, milking the cows, threshing the beans, helping the neighbors and attending church during her childhood would fill several books and make interesting reading. She attended grade school in Claunch and High School in Corona, NM, graduating with the class of 1955.

After graduation she took a job as a car hop in Socorro, NM where she met George Edwin Maples and after a whirlwind courtship they were married. Ed worked on a construction crew for Mountain States Telephone Co and they had several adventures during their early marriage before settling into a more permanent situation with the telephone company in Alamogordo, NM where Ed served as a lineman, installer, and central office repairman and Bettie was a telephone operator. They late transferred to Deming, NM and Artesia, NM before retiring in 1976 to begin their next great adventure, Alaska.

In Alaska they lived in Anchorage where Bettie worked as a Site Safety & Support Clerk where she provided essential services at several of the US Air Force's Early Warning Stations. She served at Elemendorf AFB, King Salmon, Cape Lisburn, Kotzebue, and Galena. After retirement she moved first to Los Lunas, NM and later to Claunch. She recently moved to Roswell to be closer to family here. Her passions were her extended and very large family, visiting with new and old friends, quilting, cooking, and her Church.

Bettie was proceeded in death by her parents, Charlie and Ida Wade, her husband, George Edwin Maples, brothers Jestus (Jay) and Luther (Luke), sister Ruth Smart and a Grandson, Casey Joe Maples. She is survived by her brothers; David of Socorro, Calvin (Rusty) of Show Low, AZ and sister Marjorie of Claunch, NM, sons R.A."Pancho" Maples, wife Susie, of Roswell, Douglas Von Maples, wife Lori, of South Jordan, UT, Grandchildren Hubert W. Maples & wife Somer of Ogallala,, NE, JeszaVon Maples of Stanwood, WA and Cassidy Starlyn Howard & husband
Brandon of Bonney Lake, WA and her great grandchildren, Lacy Mae Howard, Taylor Jane Howard, Whitney Makena Maples, Drake Cason Maples, and Natalie Joyce Maples. She also took great pride in the accomplishments and company of her too numerous to mention nieces and nephews and their children.

Service

Cemetery