Funeral services for Arla Hitson, 77, of Portales, will be held at 10:00 AM, Sat, July 31, 2021 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Scott P. Reeves officiating. Burial will follow in the Fort Sumner Cemetery with Alan West, Kenneth West, David Gossett, Ronnie Eaton, Greg Smith and Jeff Welch serving as pallbearers. All of Arla’s many friends and her family members will serve as honorary pallbearers. Those desiring to make memorial contributions in her honor may send them to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital at https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html, or by mail at 501 St.Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Arla Jean Hitson was born Sept. 15, 1943 in Roswell, NM to Hazel Arline (Hendricks) and Johnny Lee Holland, and passed from this life early on the morning of July 28, 2021 at her home in Portales. Arla was a 1961 honor graduate of Roswell High School where she was active in the band. Following graduation, she attended Eastern New Mexico University, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in business Administration. Later, she added an MBA and a Master’s in Business Education. Arla loved learning, and had an Administration Certificate to be a school administrator. She was also qualified to teach DECA and VICA. She taught school in Elida two different times, and taught several semesters at ENMU in Business and Accounting. She also was a substitute teacher for all the grades from Kindergarten through high school. While in college, she worked in the office of Dr. Becky Sharp for $0.25 per hour. Remarkably, Arla gained all of her education without any financial aid or student loans, with the exception of a $100 scholarship toward her first semester of college.

On Aug. 21, 1965, in Portales, she was married to Ed Hitson.  Arla was a Registered Public Accountant, and later a Certified Public Accountant.  Beginning in the early 1980’s, she worked with her husband until he sold his practice in 2004.  Then in 2006, she and Doris Welch formed A&D Accounting which they operated until 2014.  Since then, Arla had been semi-retired.

Arla loved growing flowers and taking care of her yard.  She also helped Ed with the emus they raised, and took care of her chickens.  Her prized possession was her very own John Deere tractor.  In addition she dearly loved her two Pomeranians, GW and Harley, and her two adopted dogs Maya and Mattie.

She is survived by Ed Hitson, her husband of almost 56 years of their home; a sister, Dixie Lee Wagner of Roswell; a niece, Laura Wagner (Al) Navarrete of IN; and countless friends and other family members.  She was preceded in death by both of her parents and a brother-in-law, Weldon Wagner.

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