Wanda Jean (Riley) Pettus

Funeral Services for Wanda Pettus, formerly of Portales will be held at 10:00 AM, Mon., April 6, 2026 at the First United Methodist Church in Portales with Rev. James Heredia and Rev. Damon Stalvey officiating.  Burial will be in the Portales Cemetery.  If friends or family prefer to make a donation in lieu of flowers, the family suggests the following:  Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at https://www.stjude.org/ or to the Alzheimer’s Association.  the family will receive guests at the funeral home on Saturday evening from 6-8 PM.

Wanda Jean (Riley) Pettus was born on January 11,1938 to Fred and Muriel (Hawkins) Riley in Fort Sumner, NM. She went to our Heavenly home on March 30, 2026.

A lifelong resident of Portales, Wanda devoted her time, effort and talents toward improving the community. She was a member of several civic organizations including Altrusa, Portales Women’s Club, Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce, KENW, and the United Methodist Women.

Wanda attended Eastern New Mexico University. She served as the Advertising Manager of Portales News Tribune (PNT) for over 30 years where she met many local business owners and encouraged the community to shop local. After retiring from PNT, she continued to work part time for the Clovis Livestock paper and others who needed her help with advertising.

Wanda married James Pettus on July 2, 1971. They were married 32 years. Together they built a happy life including a personal business of selling cars and renting homes.  Though very work oriented, she and James had many wonderful times square dancing. James was the Caller and she was the Caller’s Taw. They called for clubs in Portales (Starlight Swingers), Clovis (Circle 8s), Muleshoe (Muleshoe Squares), Fort Sumner (Pecos Kids), as well as all over the region upon request. They were inducted into the Square Dance Hall of Fame. The friendships that developed while square dancing were priceless and long lasting.

Wanda placed her faith and trust in Jesus and wanted others to know Him also. She was an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Portales for over 30 years. One of her favorite passages was Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens… a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance”

Her life’s pleasures included M and M’s, Diet Coke, classic Country music, daily walks, the Andy Griffith show, community/church friends, organization events, giving people a hard time, and her family.

She is survived by her daughters Janet Kay (Cox) Shearer and husband, Larry of Portales, Shawnie (Pettus) Archuleta of Rockwall, TX, and Michelle (Pettus) Kampschroeder, and husband, Kerry of Canyon, TX; her grandchildren Lindsey (Archuleta) Gill and husband, Wes, Lauren Archuleta, Keslyn Kampschroeder, and Kade Kampschroeder. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Bernice Riley, Becky Riley, Sally Ann Salsbury and Jackie LeClear; her brother and sister-in-law, Ernest and Linda Riley, and two sisters and brothers-in-law, Jeanette and Denny Hicks and Carol and Willis Rogers.

Gone before her to be with the Lord are her parents, Fred and Muriel (Hawkins) Riley, her husband, James Pettus, two sisters, Verna Mae Bates and Dorothy Hite, three brothers, Freddie Riley, Win Riley and Dennis Riley, a granddaughter, Kaylee Kampschroeder and many other friends and family.

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