Funeral services for Sammie Jo (Chalk) McCain, 83, of Portales, will be at 2:00 PM, Sat., Oct. 20, 2018 at the University Baptist Church with Rev. Steve Smith officiating. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Jason McGregor, Steven Connelly, Michael Connelly, Devon Gideon, Richard Connelly and Avery McGregor serving as pallbearers.

Sammie was born April 8, 1935 in Weed, NM to the home of Myrtle Dell (Fisher) and Raymond Ellis Chalk and died Oct. 14, 2018 in Portales, NM. Her family moved to Hope, NM when she was in the fourth grade, and to Floyd, NM when she was in the ninth grade. She graduated from Floyd High School as Salutatorian in 1953. On May 20, 1953, in Portales, she was married to Koie McCain. For several years they lived in the Portales and Roswell areas before moving to Portales to make their home in 1966.

In 1969, Mrs. McCain began working in the school cafeteria at Lindsey Elementary School. She later moved to the high school, and retired in 1994 after twenty-five years as the Director of Food Services. Sammie enjoyed cooking, sewing and gardening. She liked to do crafts of all sorts, and especially liked to do wood working. Through the years she had collected a number of bird houses and bells. She was a member of the University Baptist Church.
She is survived by three daughters, Linda Connelly and husband, Steven of Portales, Glenda Gideon and fiance, John Runyan of Artesia, NM and Delores Gentry and husband, Larry of Portales; six grandchildren, Lori (Jason) McGregor of Amarillo, TX, Michael (Sara) Connelly of Fort Worth, TX, Devon (Liz) Gideon of Aurora, CO, Courtney Gideon and boyfriend, Travis Mize of Hereford, TX, Shawn Watson of Lowell, OR and Julie (Greg) Hill of Lubbock, TX; four great-grandchildren, Avery, Audrey and Joshua McGregor, and Dillon Watson and a fifth great-grandchild, Cannon Connelly expected in Nov.; a brother, George (Frances) Chalk of Aurora, CO; a sister, Elta (John) Jeffries of Fort Worth, TX; and two sisters-in-law, Corine (Harold) Gossett of Portales and Colleen (Jerry ) Widener of Ruidoso, NM. She was preceded in death by her parents, an infant sister, Nada Chalk and by her husband, Koie, who died Oct. 31, 2001 after more than 48 years of marriage.

The family wishes to thank the staff at Accolade Home Care, Bee Hive Homes of Portales and Interim Hospice for their loving care of their mom.

Those desiring to make memorial contributions may send them to the University Baptist Church, 1012 W 15th St., Portales, NM 88130.