- Date Of Birth: February 8, 1935
- Date Of Death: July 10, 2022
- State: New Mexico
Weldon Smith, 87, of Cliff, NM passed away at his home on Sunday, July 10, 2022 surrounded by his loved ones.
Serving as Pallbearers are his grandsons: Logan Troutman, Justus Fowler, David Lindsey, Stephen Lindsey, Nick Carr, Weldon Smith, Tyrel Lewis; and his nephews: Jeffrey Adams and Doug Smith.
Weldon Smith was born on February 8, 1935 in Sterling City, Texas, the fourth child of Leon Gordon and Marcella Asilee Smith. The children, all born in Texas, are Richard, Billy Joe, Sam, Wayne, Betty, Barbara, Beverly. The family gave up on their grocery store and left Texas, picking cotton along the way. Their mother, dragging her cotton sack with the little ones riding along; Dad, willing for any work to feed his family, had grubbed prickly pear, driven any kind of truck and was soon hired for farm work in Mesilla Park, NM.
The next move was to Deming, when the depression was about over, and the economy was in a little better shape. At this time, the family operated a dairy with five boys to do the milking. Lonnie liked trucking better and sold the cows to buy a truck. A few years later, in 1952, they moved to Animas, where they leased a farm in Cotton City.
Weldon and Wayne drove the old truck up to the Animas school. School was just letting out at 3:30 and they got to saw a couple girls come out. Weldon said “I get the redhead.” And sure enough, he did. Weldon graduated in 1955, helping build and working at the new cotton gin in the summers. He completed one year at NM Western College, while working at the Boys Market. At this time, he became interested in Chemistry.
On Feb.9, 1957, he married that redhead, Carol Dunagan. They began their life in Willcox, AZ, where Weldon was working for the AZ State Highway Dept. Five months later, he received his “Greetings.” After boot camp at Fort Carson, CO he was sent to Ft. Sill, OK for infantry training. Leaving for Germany, Feb. 1958, he became a Private First Class in Fire Direction Control. The first child, Marcilen, was born to Carol and Weldon in Stuttgart, in 1958. He was released from active service July 16, 1959.
Beginning a home in Douglas, AZ their three other children were born: Jeff, 1960, Dori, 1962. Allen, 1965. Weldon began his career with Phelps Dodge at the Douglas Smelter in 1961. During the strike in 1967 he worked in the lab at the Anaconda Experimental Station in Tucson, AZ. This began his analytical chemistry work. He acquired his position in the lab at Tyrone in 1969, where he continued until his retirement. At that time, he did consulting for the old Cobre mine while leasing some cattle pasture in Hanover. The family has lived in the home near Cliff, NM for 53 years, but also loving the old home and continuing the ranch of Carol’s parents at Middle Animas.
Weldon is preceded in death by his parents and four siblings.
He is survived by his wife Carol, four children and ten grandchildren: Marci Lindsey (Jim) and their children Carol Kay Carr (Nick), David, Erin and Stephen (Mary); Jeff (Marilee) and their children Coleen Lewis (Tyrel), Weldon (Emiliana); Dori Troutman (Eldon) and their children Andrea Fowler (Justus), Logan (Kayla); Allen (Rebecca) and their children Kylee and Roselynne. In addition, there are seven great grandchildren.
