Funeral services for Nena Stratton, 87, currently of Portales will be at 10:00 AM, Wed., Jan. 23, 2019 at Central Christian Church with Rev. Wayne Moore officiating. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Sean Domis, David Riley, Michael Riley, Jonathan Ritchie, Tim Marshall and Brandon Smith serving as pallbearers.
Nena Joyce Stratton was born June 8, 1931 in Portales to the home of Dovie Agnes (McCullough) and William Emory Bazemore and passed from this life early on the morning of Jan. 19, 2019 in Portales. Mrs Stratton was a 1949 graduate of Portales High School. On Aug. 28, 1949 in Portales, she was married to Lewis Cleo Stratton. She began working in the banking industry at the First National Bank in Portales as the assistant to Mr. Arthur Jones, bank president. She continued working there until her husband finished college. For several years they made their home in Capitan. In 1959 they moved to Pagosa Springs, CO, and then in 1965 they relocated to Corona, NM. From 1973 until 1975 they made their home in Dora, and then moved to Ruidoso Downs, NM. While living there, she re-entered the banking industry, and started by overseeing new accounts. By the time that she retired in 1989, she had advanced to Senior Vice President, Cashier. She left Ruidoso Downs for three years to help establish the Bank of Northern New Mexico in Las Vegas.
Mrs. Stratton loved playing with her grandchildren, who were taken by her vivid imagination. Nena became fascinated with the study of genealogy, and worked tirelessly to find her ancestors. Her investigations found two men who came to the U.S. penniless and not only became wealthy, but left a lasting mark on American history. Adam Thoughgoods descendents included Julia Dent (Mrs. Ulysses S.) Grant. The other, William Strothers, included among his descendents James Madison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor and Jimmy Carter. Nena made several trips back east to do research and find places that were familiar to her ancestors. She was a member of the Central Christian Church, as well as Daughters of the American Revolution and United Daughters of the Confederacy.
She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Doris Stratton of Ruidoso Downs, NM; a daughter, Vicky Stratton of Portales; three grandchildren, Melissa (Jim) Buckley, Sean Domis and Kaitlyn (Brandon) Smith; six step-grandchildren, Tim Marshall, Naomi Marshall, Jonathan Marshall and Sarah Marshall, Dora Pacheco and Luke Pacheco; three great-grandchildren, Jacelyn Seefeld, Trislyn Smith and Aspen Buckley; and four step-great-grandchildren, Chance Marshall, Luke Pacheco, Nichals Pacheco and Noah Pacheco; and by two nephews, David (Cheryl) Riley of Hobbs, NM and Michael (Rosalie) Riley of Chardon, OH. She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, Agnes Bazemore and Jeanene Bazemore Riley, a brother, Darrell Bazemore, a granddaughter, Meagan Stratton, a great-granddaughter, Aria Buckley, a son-in-law, Michael Marshall who died in 2017, a son, Bobby Stratton who died in 1951, and by her beloved husband, Lewis who died Aug. 29, 1991.
