Page 86 - NM Summer 2023

IN MEMORIAM
Obituaries and photos provided by NMHBA
Joe Rios
Joe Rios passed away December 12. He was 63 years old.
Joe was a life time resident of El Paso, TX. Long time livestock trader. Joe was preceded in death by his mother, Refugio Rios, and his father, Cruz Rios. Survivors: Wife, Leslie Rios; Daughter, Callie Rios-Hall and Seth; Son, Joe Karl Rios and Kelly, two grand children Vida Kay and Joe Crux, and Nikki Rios Folmer and Jason Rios, which he thought of them more like his children than niece and nephew. Joe
is survived by four brothers, Robert Morales, Cruz Rios Jr., Manny Rios and Oscar Rios.
school in 1958. While in school, he played basketball, baseball and ran track. He also was a member of FFA, showing steers, judging and doing a little bit of rodeoing. Max attended Eastern New Mexico University for a year, but decided that was not the route
he wanted to go. For a time, he worked as a house mover in Albuquerque before being drafted into the US Army.
At his basic training, he was rated “Expert” on the rifle range during the coldest winter
on record at Ft. Carson, Colorado. Max served in Germany during his time of service, and because he was one of the few men able to type, he was assigned as a court reporter. Following his discharge, he returned to Portales, and on June 6, 1965, he was married to Sharen Savage.
He worked for New Mexico Gas Co.
until 1969, when he went to work as a feed salesman for Moorman’s Livestock Feed Co.
In 1971, they moved to the Clovis area and then when he was promoted to District Sales Manager in 1973, they moved to Grape
Creek, TX. He was promoted again in 1976
to the position of State Sales Manager, and at that time they moved to Roswell. His district covered all of New Mexico, as well as part of Texas and Oklahoma, so in 1983, they moved to Clovis to be more centrally located. Max left Moorman’s in the early 1990’s and went
to work for Postive Feed as a salesman. In addition, he ran wheat cattle and worked for
a time for his son, Wesley, on his son’s dairy. Shortly after the death of his wife in 2008, he stopped working in sales, and devoted his time to breeding and selling race horses. As a matter of providence, one of the colts he bred, won a race on the very day that Max died.
On May 16, 2015, he was married to Marjorie Powers. Max was a lifelong member of the Baptist church, and for the past several years had attended the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Portales. He was a member of the New Mexico Horse Breeders Association, the American Quarter Horse Association, and the Elks Club in Clovis.
He is survived by his wife, Marjorie of their home; two sons and daughters-in-law, Wade and Julie Fraze of Portales and Wes and Wende Fraze of Hico, TX; four grandchildren, Tayler Fraze, Toree (Payton) Williams, Braden (Leah) Fraze and Kelly (Zach) Shank and two great-grandchildren expected later this spring; his sister, Wilma Buzard of Portales; and his wife’s children, Bryce (Courtney) Powers of Amarillo, TX, Jo Lynn Powers of Portales,
and Marla (Scott) Schumacher of Manassas, VA. He was preceded in death by both of his parents; a brother, Gene Fraze,; and by Sharen Fraze, his wife of almost 43 years, who died February 29, 2008.
Lonnie Elam
We are sad to announce that on December 12, 2022, at the age of 80, Lonnie F Elam of Canutillo, Texas passed away.
Photo Provided
Charlie Patterson
"Diamond" "Charlie" Charles Dean Patterson (81) went to be with the Lord on Thursday, June 15, 2023. He was surrounded by his wife of 58 years, Dixie, his son Jay, daughter Carla and his four grandchildren, whom he treasured.
Charlie was born in Baytown, Texas, on Oct. 4, 1941, to parents, Cleaston "Cleat" and Helen who owned the Patterson Bakery. Charlie delivered donuts in the mornings before high school. After graduating from Robert E. Lee High School, he attended Lee College and then became a paratrooper for the Army's 82nd Airborne. The Army greatly influenced him and changed the direction of his life.
Charlie lived a full, adventurous, amazing life. Never one to sit idle, before joining the
Max Bryant Fraze
Max Bryant Fraze was born October 2, 1939, at the family home in Dora, to the home of Zillah Florene (Ragland) and Ralph Benjamin Fraze, and died at his home at the edge of Portales, surrounded by his family on the evening of February 11, 2023. Max grew up in Dora, and graduated from high
84 New Mexico Horse Breeder