A come and go celebration of the life of Charlotte Strong, 85, of Portales, will be held at the home of her son, 918 E. Canadian in Portales on Sat., June 23, 2018 from 6 until 10 PM. Interment will follow in the Mountainair Cemetery at 11 AM on July 28, 2018.
Mrs. Strong was born Sept. 5, 1932 in Progresso, NM to the home of Edna Irene (Wright) and Charlie Rufus Gonce, and died on June 9, 2018 in Portales. She grew up on a ranch located between Willard and Corona, NM. Her grade school years were in Willard. She graduated from high school in Estancia in 1950, and on Nov. 14, 1951 she was married to Army Sgt. Nathan A. Strong. After her husband returned from serving in Korea, they were stationed first at Fort Sill, OK, and later at Fort Bliss, TX. In 1969, she was widowed with two small boys to rear on her own.
Mrs. Strong became a bank teller, and worked at banks in El Paso, Albuquerque, Estancia and Portales. She was a very devoted mother and grandmother. Mrs. Strong kept an immaculate house, and always kept a beautiful yard and flower garden. She was a faithful Christian and a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church. Because of her husband’s military service, she joined the American Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary, and maintained that membership in each place where she lived. In 2010, she came to Portales to make her home with her son and daughter-in-law.
She is survived by one son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Debbie Strong of Portales; three grandchildren, Hilary (Shane) Shirley, Nathan (Angela) Strong and Amanda Strong; as well as an adopted granddaughter, Stephanie (Ed) Dean; 18 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, William Leonard Gonce and a son, Nathan A. Strong, Jr, who died in 2010.
