Funeral services for Annetta Byrd, 81, of Portales, will be at 10:00 AM, Sat., April 27, 2019 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Dee Lancaster officiating, assisted by Leroy Thomas. Burial will follow in the Causey Cemetery with Stanley Chunn, Aaron Boyd, Mark Logan, Jade Bourke, Michael Holmes and Buddy Holmes serving as pallbearers. All of her many close friends will be honorary pallbearers. Following the graveside committal service there will be a luncheon served at the Causey Senior Center. The family will receive guests at the funeral home on Friday evening from 6 to 8 PM. Those desiring to make memorial contributions may send them to the New Mexico Christian Children’s Home, 1356 NM 236, Portales, NM 88130.
Annetta Estell Byrd was born Mar. 9, 1938, in Clovis, NM to the home of Velma Juanita (Gates) and D. B. “Beans” Judah, Jr., and died April 23, 2019 in Portales, exactly four years to the day following the death of her beloved husband, B. J. Byrd. Annetta attended school at Causey. On July 18, 1954, she was married to Bo Chunn. They had two children together before later divorcing. She made her home in Causey until 1989 when she moved to Maple, TX where she lived on the grounds of the Three Way School. Annetta was the Business Manager for the school for 25 years before she retired in 1993.
On June 6, 1992 in Amarillo, she was married to B. J. Byrd. Following her retirement, they moved to Gruver, TX to make their home, but in 1998 Annetta moved back to be near her daughter in order to be a part of her youngest granddaughter’s life. She was a lifelong member of the Church of Christ. She was an avid reader, and when her eyesight would no longer permit her to read, she listened to audio books, often listening to a whole book in a single day.
She is survived by her children, Ricky and April Chunn of Woodland, WA and Karen and Steve Chandler of Portales, Inell and Blake Trahan of Destrehan, LA, Diane and Lynn Boyd of Gruver, TX and Kelly and Theresa Byrd of Nederland, TX; and twelve grandchildren, Amber Logan, Staci Bourke, Stanley Chunn, Stephanne Chandler, Amy Baker, Keith Grubbs, Kimberly Tindell, Aaron Boyd, Dustin Trahan, and John, Jacob and Adam Byrd; 17 great-grandchildren; her former brothers and sisters-in-law, Sue and Blake Inge, of Portales, Clovie and Valerie Chunn of Portales, Chari Wood of Roswell, NM, and Carmen and Roger Woods of Rogersville, MO; a number of nieces and nephews and her very close friends, Bud, Venus, Buddy and Michael Holmes of Littlefield, TX. She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, Benny Judah, and by her husband, and the love of her life, B. J. Byrd who died April 23, 2015.
