Nelma Viola (Wilson) Stephens

Funeral services for Nelma Stephens, 93, currently of Clovis, will be held at 10:00 A.M., Thurs., Aug. 11, 2022 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Rev. Johnny Funderburg and Rev. Dean Turvaville officiating.  Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Brad Morgan, Al Anderson, Jesse Cantu, David McFadden, John Kropp and Adam Burns serving as pallbearers.  The staff of Wheatfields Senior Living Community and her many friends form Wheatfields along with the Delbert and Verla Brown Family, the Leland and Betty Pool family, Nona Faye Terry and John Gentry will serve as honorary pallbearers.  Those desiring to make memorial contributions may send them to the New Mexico Baptist Children’s Home, P O Box 629, Portales, NM 88130.

Nelma Viola Stephens was born June 16, 1929 in Elida, NM to the home of Artie Mae (Self) and Jerry Pence Wilson and died on the evening of Aug. 7, 2022 in Clovis, NM.  Mrs. Stephens began her schooling in the Red Lake community, and later attended the Elida schools where she graduated in 1947.  On Jan. 4, 1948 in Elida, she was married to Lyndon Stephens.  They made their home on a farm in the Bethel community.  Nelma loved to read, and Lyndon said that he was concerned that he would be able to make enough money to be able to supply her with all the books that she wanted to read.  She enjoyed mysteries and historical novels, but in addition she owned every Reader’s Digest condensed novel that was published.

Mrs. Stephens was a devout Christian, and a faithful member of the Bethel Baptist Church until the church was closed.  For more than 50 years she served as the church Treasurer.  Her life revolved around her family and church activities.  After moving to Clovis several years ago, she became a member of the Highland Baptist Church.  In addition to the farm, she and her husband owned and operated the Eclipse Mobile Home Park for a number of years.

She is survived by a son and her favorite daughter-in-law, Harold and Paulita Stephens of Arch; four daughters and two sons-in-law, Cynthia Gilmore of Brighton, CO, Martha and Mike Whitesides of Tucumcari, NM, Anna and Charles Lynn Bolin of Johnstown, CO and Laura Stephens of Clovis; five grandchildren, Rachel (Steven) Parker, Cody (Claire) Goins, Levi Reid, Daniel Stephens and Hannah Reid; two great-grandchildren, Henry and Frances Goins; and a brother, Ivan “Skip” (Marion) Wilson of Portales.  She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Burris and Woodrow Wilson, two sisters, Norma Phillips and Nona Robbins, a son-in-law, Michael Gilmore, and by Lyndon Stephens, her husband of almost 63 years, who died Dec. 16, 2010.

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