Earlene Smith

Earlene Durand Smith

A funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m.Tuesday, November 7,

2006 at Ballard Funeral Chapel . Father Richard Lifak will officiate.

Burial will follow at South Park Cemetery.

For Earlene Smith, of Dexter who passed away peacefully with

her three children by her side on November 3, 2006. Earlene was

born on January 14, 1926 to Raymond George Durand and Ernest

Earle Smith on the 300 block of West Third Street in

Dexter and lived on the same block until 2006.

Earlene loved Dexter and was proud to be a democrat from

Chaves County. She began working as Dexters City Clerk in the

fifties. In the sixties she was appointed Director to the Chaves

County Motor Vehicle Division and worked for ten years as the

Receptionist clerk, of Ballard Funeral Home. In 1970 she was

elected to two terms as Chaves County Clerk. She was office

Manager for Thomas Allen Oil Company and was a Retired

Employee of, New York Life Insurance Company. Upon her

retirement, Earlene was elected four terms as the Municipal Judge

of Dexter. Earlene was chosen as a Grand Marshall for Dexters

100th Anniversary Celebration Ceremonies.

Earlene has been active in Democratic party affairs since she

was a small girl, and said she passed out cards for her favorite

candidates when she was 11 years old. She has been State

Committee Woman from Chaves County on the State Democratic

Central Committee and held many other positions, one being

Senator, Tim Jennings first Campaign Manager. Besides politics

Earlenes passions were playing skip-bo every Saturday, bridge

every Tuesday, watching her grandson Michael ride horses on

television, reading, cooking and cussing.

Earlene is survived by her children George T. Smith mate

Verna Kirby of Philadelphia, PA, Nedra Jo Matteucci husband

Richard, of Sante Fe and Albuquerque, NM. Elizabeth Brockmann

and husband James of Sante Fe NM. Her grandchildren

Michael Earl Smith of New York, Raymond Smith of Chandler,

AZ. and Dustin Belyeu, and wife Brooke of Sante Fe, NM.

Great- grandchildren Sara Jessie Smith of Chandler Az. and Kiran

Dale Belyeu of Sante fe, NM. Her sibling Joe Davis Durand and

wife Martha ; nieces and nephews Michelle Runyan, Roger

Durand, Mary Durand, Petite Butler, and Yvette Crile; her cousins

Eileen Durand of Albuquerque, NM and Margaret Jane Middleton,

and John Benton Fulton of Texas. Earlene was preceded in death

by her parents Raymond George Durand and Ernest Earle Smith, a

sibling George Raymond Durand ,and a son Raymond Hatton

Smith. .

Earlene and her family would like to give special thanks to her

neighbors on 3rd Street: Janice and Norman Caffal, Kathleen and

Paul Drum, and Nick and Betty Jane Clemenza, Olivia Reid and

her boys, Uncle Joe and Aunt Martha for her constant friendship.

Pallberares will be Mike Smith , Raymond Smith, Dustin Belyeu,
PRoger Durand, Mark Reid, and Tim

Visitation

Ballard Funeral Home and Crematory
910 S. Main St.
Roswell, NM  88203
Monday, November 6, 2006
9:00 a.m.

Service

Funeral Service

Ballard Funeral Chapel
910 S. Main St.
Roswell, NM  88203
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
2:00 p.m.

Cemetery

South Park Cemetery
3101 S. Main St.
Roswell, NM  88203