Merle (Riley) Corbin

Graveside services for Merle (Riley) Corbin, 89, will be held at 10:00am on August 17, 2022 at the Portales Cemetery with Delbert Rector officiating. Billy Neece Jr., Cliff Neece, Matt Neece, Tyce Neece, Bowdy Neece, Treyton Neece, Briley Neece, Chanden Neece and Ryan Wood will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be all of her beloved family.

Merle was the ninth child of ten born to Ima Orene (Walker) and Jerry Scott Riley on May 3, 1933 in Arch, NM and passed from this life on Wednesday, August 10, 2022. She was raised in and attended school in Arch until the school consolidated with the Portales schools.

She married Clifford E. Corbin on May 13, 1950 in Arch. They lived and farmed in Arch for a time before moving to Portales. They had two daughters, Debra Joy Corbin Crozier and Diana Jeene Corbin Néece. She held various secretarial positions at Eastern New Mexico University and assisted Clifford while he helped manage Eastern Welding Supply. Merle and Clifford later moved to Clayton, NM to manage the town’s Eastern Welding Supply branch before retiring to Logan, NM. They returned to Arch in the late 80’s to be closer to their children and grandchildren.

Merle and Clifford enjoyed dancing and bowling in their younger years. As grandchildren came along, they often took the families on camping, hunting, and fishing trips. Known to her family as Granny, she loved family get-togethers and game nights; family was very important to her. She loved to help in the planning and hosting of the annual “Riley Roundup” family reunions for her siblings and their families for many years.

            She had many talents including sewing, crocheting, and cross stitching. She especially enjoyed hand quilting and took the time to create many special keepsake quilts for her family. Her hobbies included crafting, canning, gardening, and cooking. She was always ready and happy to cook a meal for anyone stopping by. She was a member of the Third and Kilgore Church of Christ and the Arch Homemakers Club.  

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Clifford who died September 20, 2005 after 55 years of marriage, her brothers Jerry Scott Riley Jr, Pat (Jean) Riley, and Bud Riley; her sisters Nell (Robert) Stokes, Eva (Buck) Partin, Neva (E.B.) Wilhoit, Imogene (Tildon) Arnold, and Joy (Charlie) Williams, and son-in-law Doug Crozier who passed away January 31, 2007.

Merle is survived by a brother James (Joy) Riley of Littleton, CO; daughters Debra Crozier of Bella Vista, AR and Diana Neece of Arch NM, and son-in-law Billy Neece of Portales, NM; grandchildren Shannon (Mark) Gormley of Bentonville, AR, DeAun (Christopher) Searl of Greer, SC, Billy (Carol) Neece of Portales, NM, Cliff (Shawna) Neece of Arch, NM, Matt (Sheresa) Neece of Portales, NM; great-grandchildren Amanda (Tylor) Pullen, Ryan Wood, Ashley (Jon) LeBlanc, TiAnna Griffin, and Tyce, Bowdy, Briley, Chanden, Treyton, and Timberlyn Neece; great-great-grandchildren Korbyn and Norah Pullen, Crozier LeBlanc, Tayvah Neece, and Eliana and Emmery Ornelas, as well as many nieces, nephews and friends.

Our heartfelt thanks to the Roosevelt County Rural Electric crew, ambulance crew, flight crew, and sheriffs’ officers for going above and beyond for our mother and Granny.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the New Mexico Christian Children’s Home, 1356 NM 236, or the New Mexico Baptist Children’s Home, P O Box 629 both located in Portales, NM 88130.

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