Howard Ray “Cotton” Patton January 16, 1948 ~ November 9, 2024 (age 76)

Funeral services for Howard Patton, 76, of Dexter, NM will be held at 11:00 AM, Thurs., Nov 21, 2024 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Clay Ivey officiating.  Burial will follow in the Longs Cemetery near Dora, NM with Joshua Brooks, Matthew Tompkins, Clay Ivey, Luke Mendenhall, Bryce Saucerman, and Shane Breaux serving as pallbearers.  Malcolm McCarty, Chad Patton, Stewart Bogle, Donald Bogle, Joe Bogle, Johnny Barry, Gavin Nash, Robert Patton, Travis Eldridge and Tommy Gomez will serve as honorary pallbearers.  Visitation at the funeral home will be from Tues, Nov. 19th and Wed., Nov. 20th.

Howard Ray Patton, known to most people as Cotton, was born Jan. 16, 1948 in Tucumcari, NM, and died on Sat. morning, Nov. 9, 2024.  Cotton grew up on the Ima Cap on the Ivey Ranch where they did not have running water or electricity.  When he was in his teen years, the family moved to Clovis.  Both of his brothers were serving in Vietnam, and Cotton wanted to go as well.  His mother signed for him to join while he was 17, but when his brother learned that he was coming, he intervened, and he was put back on a plane to the US.  He later served in the DMZ in Korea as a platoon leader.  As a result of his service, he suffered some debilitating injuries that resulted in the designation of Disabled Veteran.

After his discharge, Mr. Patton was living in Dumas, and was employed by a veterinarian supply company, selling medications and supplies to feed lots in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico.  He met his future wife, Gail Bennett in Clovis, and they were married on May 4, 1974 in Roy, NM.  In 1976, they moved to Roswell, where he took a job as a mail carrier for the US Postal Service.  After a few years of walking mail routes, he developed shin splints, and changed his employment to the county road department.  Then in the mid 1980’s he became a correctional officer at the Roswell Correctional Center where he oversaw the trustees who were sent out on work details for the county.  He had been retired since about 2008.

All his life he enjoyed team roping and training horses.  In his spare time, he enjoyed playing video poker.  When he became ill and was placed on hospice, he quickly became the nurses’ favorite patient.

He is survived by his son, Chad Patton of Dexter, NM; his sister, Shaya Brooks of Roswell; two grandchildren, Alexis Patton and her fiancé, Matthew Tompkins and Josua Brooks; as well as three “bonus” grandchildren, Kylee Camp, Kindra Carrell and Cayla Saucerman; and a sister-in-law, Lisa (Mrs. Ralph) Patton of El Paso, TX.  He was preceded in death by both of his parents, two brothers, Ralph and Wayne Patton, a sister-in-law, Sue Nash, a brother-in-law, Duwain Bullock, two nephews Jared Ivey and William “Bill” Patton, a niece, Chantel Campbell, a great-nephew, Cash Mullins, and by his wife, Gail Patton who died Dec. 26, 2021 after nearly 47 years of marriage.

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