Simona Ponce Montez
Simona Ponce Montez, 91, passed away at home on March 17, 2024, in Roswell, NM.
Simona was born on February 18, 1933, in Vado de Piedra (“El Vado”), Chihuahua, Mexico to Pedro Estrella Ponce and Juana (“Juanita”) Carrasco Ponce. At around the age of 12, Simona traveled to Loving, NM, to live with her beloved aunt, Heriberta (“Betita”) Ponce Salmon (her father’s sister) and uncle Herculano Salmon. Simona spent many years surrounded by their younger children. To support her family in Mexico, Simona worked in the farm fields near Loving. One day, she spied a farm hand, Amador Salazar Montez, a familiar face from El Vado. They reconnected, fell in love and decided to get married on August 18, 1953, in Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico.
From Loving, the couple made their way north to the area known as Cottonwood, near Lake Arthur, NM. There the family worked and lived on the local farms owned by Buddy Taylor, Melvin Pearson and Ralph Pearson. Eight of the couple’s children were born at Artesia General Hospital. The family later moved to Ralph Pearson’s farm in Hagerman, NM, and then settled in Roswell in December 1976.
Simona was a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Lake Arthur, Saint Catherine Mission in Hagerman and later St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (Comunidad Catolica de San Juan Bautista) in Roswell. She was a member of the Crusillo Movement and a long-time member of the Spanish Choir (Coro Español) at St. John’s. She enjoyed spending time with her children and her grandchildren, who affectionately called her “Lita.” She made friends wherever she went. She loved playing Bingo at various locations in Roswell. After a night at Bingo, she would often come home to say she had won “el camino para la casa” — the road home. She enjoyed cooking, dancing and singing. She was a great storyteller…
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