Fern Gore

Memorial services for Fern Gore, 85, of Portales, will be held at 2:00 PM, on Saturday March 15, 2025 at Wheeler Mortuary with Rev. John Combs officiating. Interment will follow in the Elida Cemetery with her sons and grandsons serving as pallbearers.

Fern, as she was known to all family and friends was born August 13, 1929, in Portales to the home of Rosa Lee (Riley) and Preston Thomas Parkinson, and passed away on March, 10, 2025, at the Retirement Ranch in Clovis at the age of 85.

She was a 1957 graduate of Elida High School. Following graduation, she married Leslie Smith in Elida, NM.  There were four sons born to their union; Mike, Gary, JT and Eddie.  They made their homes in Elida, Kenna and eventually Yeso NM. In November 1967 Leslie died and Fern moved the boys to Portales while she attended ENMU to earn a teaching degree.

In 1972 she met and married James (Jim) W. Gore. They had a son James W. Gore Jr. Together they lived in Floyd, Weed and Tucumcari NM. Jim died in Tucumcari on August 31, 1997. Fern moved to the lake at Logan and continued to teach at Tucumcari until 2001. In 2004, to be closer to her grandchildren she moved to Portales.  There she met and married Elmer Reed in 2016 and they made their home in Dora, NM. Elmer passed on January 6th, 2025.

Fern was a devoted Christian, and faithfully served her Lord throughout her lifetime. Most recently she was a member of the Causey Baptist Church. Fern was a dedicated mother and grandmother. She enjoyed time with her family and loved playing cards with her grandchildren.  She was an excellent cook and held many family dinners in her home, often entertaining over 40 family members. She was an excellent seamstress and made many custom clothes for her family. She enjoyed doing crafts, puzzles, and many other activities with her grandchildren. Fern will certainly be missed by all who knew her.

Fern is survived by sons and daughters-in-law, Mike and Nita of Portales, Gary and Diep of Saigon, Vietnam, JT of Portales, Eddie and Melanie of Portales and James and Sarah of Alamogordo; and a special daughter Missy Smith of Clovis. Fern is survived by 13 grandchildren; Tabor, Tyler, Kayalee, Stacey, Serena, Alicia, Alexis, Zyanya, Dylan, Tim, Brandy, Hailey and Sam. She is also survived by 20 great grandchildren.

Fern was preceded in death by her parents, and by her husbands; Leslie Smith, Jim Gore, and Elmer Reed and one grandchild, Stony Lee Smith.

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