Edna Holland

Edna Holland, 85 of Fort Sumner, NM died Sunday, June 17, 2007 at Lubbock Heart Hospital following an illness. Edna was born May 8, 1922 in Lone Wolf, Kiowa County, Oklahoma the daughter of Arthur McDonald Jones and the former Ellen Millie Jane Allin. She moved with her family at the age of 3 to Texas. She attended school at Rock Creek, Texas, Moriarty and Roswell, New Mexico. Edna married William Ralph Holland on November 8, 1939 in Albuquerque; they were married for 50 years. Edna worked with her family in agriculture – picking cotton, pulling broom corn and picking apples. She later worked at a laundry in Albuquerque. She became sales manager for Beeline and Minnesota Woolens. Edna and Ralph bought Holland’s Friendly Grocery in Fort Sumner and operated it for 7 ½ years. After selling the grocery store she worked at Billy The Kid Museum for 15 years and retired in 1995. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church since 1946 and a Sunday School Youth teacher for 15 years. She was a member of the Women’s Club, Prayer Groups, and was active in the Emmaus Community serving as a Board Representative for the Northeast Region. Edna made her home in Moriarty, NM 10 years, Carlsbad 21 years, for the past 37 years she has made her home in Fort Sumner. She loved to travel, work in her yard and care for her neighbors. She also cared for a great uncle for two years her mother 11 years and her daddy for several years. She was a caregiver for her beloved friend Gladys Shirley for 6 years. Edna was happiest when she was caring for others and touched many lives. She was an inspiration and a joy to her family and friends, a powerful Christian and prayer warrior. Edna, Gladys and Viola drove to Yukon – through Canada to Alaska, they were gone 7 weeks, and had a ball, she said “God took care of them.” Edna was preceded in death by her husband William Ralph Holland in 1990; a daughter Beverly Kay Holland in 1949; her parents; two brothers Clifford Jones and Perry Jones; two sisters Viola Krigbaum and Jewel Jones; and a grandson David Reddy. Survivors include a son Terry Holland and wife Cheryl of Mart, Texas; two daughters Barbara Reddy and husband Dan of Carlsbad, NM; Bettye Kirby and husband James of Lovington, NM; three sisters Frances Groff of Higby, Arizona; Jessie Nielsen and husband Walter of Clovis, NM; and Bonita Wright of Stanley, NM; one brother Art Jones and wife Joyce of Clovis, NM; also surviving are 9 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren. Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Thursday, June 21, 2007 at the First United Methodist Church in Fort Sumner with Rev. Kieth Niehaus officiating. Burial will follow at Mountain View Cemetery in Moriarty, New Mexico at 3:00 PM. Pallbearers will be J.D. Cramer, Jason Holland, Paul Reddy, Jon Kizer, Eddie Pruett, and Johnny Mack Owen, Darrell Kotara and Johnny Mack Rounds. Honorary bearers will include all her friends and neighbors, Paul Horney, Ellis Jones, Lee Koll, Burton Dickerman, Steve Dimetroff, Bob West, Ralph Lund and the kids who came to the store for sandwiches. The family prefers memorial contributions to David Reddy Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Carlsbad Foundation, 116 S. Canyon, Carlsbad, NM 88220. Visitation hours will be Wednesday from 1PM to 6PM at Chavez Funeral Home, 804 N. Fifth Street; Fort Sumner, New Mexico. To place an online tribute or note of condolence visit www.chavezfuneralhome.com (505) 355-2311