Thelma D. Clark

Obituary For Thelma D. Clark

Thelma Demmice Dickenson Clark, our “Gromma” passed away on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at 105+ years of age. The services will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2022, at 10:30 A.M. at the First Baptist Church on Broadway. The pallbearers will be Travis Shetter, Faron Shetter, Faron Shetter Jr., Spencer Shetter, David Clark and Chloe Shetter. She is proceeded in death by her husband of 60 years, Wendell Clark. Thelma will be laid to rest by his side following the services. Thelma was born July 13, 1916, in House of Quay County in New Mexico. Thelma had an amazing heritage of Cherokee, Choctaw, Powhatan, Iroquois and English. She is a great niece of Pocahontas. Thelma has lived a long and challenging but prosperous life. She is survived by her 4 children: Earl Clark, Mary Oakleaf, Claudia Shetter and Dan Clark, 16 Grandchildren, 43 Great-Grandchildren and 23 Great-Great-Grandchildren with more on their way! After Wendell became inflicted with severe Rheumatoid arthritis, Thelma and Wendell moved their growing family to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico in 1951 for the healing properties of the Natural Hot Springs. They attended the very first Fiesta! Thelma worked at Maggie’s Café on Main Street to support her family during a time that a woman working outside the home was frowned upon. Thelma and Wendall raised goats, chickens, pigeons and rabbits to feed and support the family through the sale of goat milk and eggs. Thelma returned to Beauty College in Las Cruces in 1962. She graduated in in 1963 and opened The Desert Beauty Shop to support her family for the next 40 years. Earl Clark, Mary Oakleaf and Dan Clark still carry on the tradition of raising goats and producing goatmilk today. Claudia still raises chickens. Thelma spent her Sundays being a Sunday school teacher for at least 30 years. Thelma’s children and grandchildren came from hundreds of miles around to attend countless Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners at their tiny little farmhouse on North Street. “Family First” wasn’t a slogan in our family but an action demonstrated by our tradition of gathering and celebrating our lives together as much as possible. Thelma, our “Gromma” lived an amazing, long and challenging life. Gromma was so strong willed we had to take away her chainsaw at 86 after she cut herself trimming her Mulberry trees. She survived two pandemics, including the Spanish Flu at the age of 2, a cold night outside, almost freezing to death at 102, the Corona Virus at 105 and a lifetime of hard work both running a small dairy and a beauty shop to support her family. Thelma was born right after her parents came to New Mexico on a covered wagon and witnessed the invention of the car, the airplane and the first rocket to the moon. She was alive through WWI and WWII and survived the Great Depression. She witnessed the invention of the television, the computer and the cell phone, though she never knew what all the fuss was about. Thelma was a remarkable woman who lived her life in service of the Lord and her family. We can all only hope to have the strength, tenacity, and longevity to be able to work so hard to support and care for our own families. She will be missed, but she will live on through her amazing bloodline and tradition of sharing food and family gatherings.

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