Lovita Fern (Cochrain) Hale

Funeral services for Lovita Hale, 77, of Fort Sumner, NM will be held at 10:00 AM, Fri., June 9, 2023 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Rev. Rick Wilcher officiating.  Burial will follow in the Elida Cemetery with Montie Nickels, Austin Hale, Cade Standifer, Steve Standifer, Mitch Jones, and Knox Cortese serving as pallbearers.  All of Lovita’s loyal customers and her many friends will serve as honorary pallbearers.  Those desiring to make memorial contributions in her honor may send them to any Junior Livestock Fund in the area.  Visitation for Ms. Hale will be on Wed and Thurs, June 7th and 8th from 8 AM until 8 PM at Wheeler Mortuary.

Lovita Fern Hale was born in Portales on April 21, 1946 to the home of Fern Elizabeth (Campbell) and Montie Rex Cochrain, and passed peacefully from this earth, at her home in Fort Sumner, NM on June 2, 2023.  Lovita was raised on a dairy farm outside of Elida, NM, and graduated from Elida High School in 1964.  She went on to attend Eastern New Mexico University for two years.  For many years, Lovita was employed at Poynor’s Home and Auto Store in Portales.

Lovita was an astute business woman.  In 1995 she bought One Stop Feed and Supply in Clovis, and for 28 years she devoted her time and energy to making it a very successful business.  She loved her customers and considered every one of them a special friend.  All her employees referred to her as “Boss,” and she loved mentoring young adults, instilling in them a strong work ethic and a set of values of honesty and keeping your word.  Lovita had an extreme love for her family, and instilled those same values in all of them.  Along with those values was her deep faith in God.  Lovita was a member of the Elida Methodist Church.

Music was a big part of Lovita’s life.  She began performing with her sister, Laverne at about the age of 10, sharing their beautiful harmonies on many occasions, whether it be at a friend’s wedding, at church, for a funeral, a family get-together, or just riding in the car, singing to her favorite artist, George Jones.  She and Laverne were frequent performers at the Floyd Country Jamboree.

Lovita loved young people, and was a great encourager of the younger generation.  She was a strong supporter at many local FFA chapters, 4H groups, and livestock fairs.  She had also served on the Elida School Board for several years. 

She was a true country girl, and had a love for horses and cows all her life.  For many years she kept peacocks, and she nearly always had a dog or two.  Among the many other things that she enjoyed doing was going to rodeos.

Lovita was preceded in death by her parents, Montie and Fern Cochrain.  She is survived by her sister and best friend, Laverne Inge and husband, Bob of Portales; two sons and daughters-in-law, Montie and Michelle Nickels of Savannah, TN and Austin and Jolene Hale of Clovis, NM; four granddaughters, Hailey Nickels of Starkville, MS, Lynsie Nickels of Nashville, TN, Jordan Simmons and husband, Cameron of Clovis, NM and Janae Tulk and husband, Thomas of Hawaii; two great-grandchildren, Bodhi Simmons and Leighton Tulk; as well as by a niece Leslie Addison of Dyersburg, TN and two nephews, Steve Standifer of Pismo Beach, CA and Cade Standifer of Portales.

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