Memorial services for Cortez resident Clara Marie Candelaria were held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Ertel Memorial Chapel. The Rev. Brett Dunstan officiated.
Clara was born on Jan. 6, 1928, in Glenco, Colorado, to Remigio and Lucy (Romero) Chavez. She passed away on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014, at Valley Inn Nursing Home at the age of 86.
Clara, whose name on her birth certificate reads Maria Clarita Chavez, went to school in Mancos, Colorado. She graduated from the eigth grade in 1943, and attended a couple years of high school.
After WWII, she met a handsome young man at a wedding dance. That man would become her husband, Raymond Candelaria.
They lived in Cortez, where Remigio and Yvonne were born. They moved to Salt Lake City, where Connie and Donna joined the family.
Raymond worked for Cudahay, but didn't like being outdoors, so back to Cortez they went.
Paul was born in Cortez in 1959. Raymond worked for the Natural Gas Co. in Cortez for over 30 years.
Clara was a homemaker and then went to work at Southwest Memorial Hospital as a nurse's aide; later becoming a ward clerk working there for over 15 years.
They both worked very hard for the American Legion and Legion Auxiliary.
Clara was a lifelong reader, who shared that interest with her children, who all love to read.
"When we were going through her books, we found three copies of John Grisham's Sycamore Row. Everyone had sent her a copy not knowing the other one had sent it to her, too."
She loved to embroider, as well as enjoyed traveling, and went to see all 11 grandchildren when they were born; traveling from Alaska, Wyoming, Texas and Kansas to welcome the new babies to this family.
During her last years, she was a resident at the Valley Inn Nursing Home in Mancos. She loved all of the activities, trips and bingo that were made available to her there. She was a killer bingo player and was loved by everyone at the home.
Clara will be dearly missed by all that knew and loved her.
Surviving Clara are her children, Yvonne Candelaria of Cortez; Connie Klingler and husband, Kirk, of Gillette, Wyoming, Donna Wallace and husband, Jerry, of Bishop, Texas, Paul Candelaria of Gillette, Wyoming, and Michelle Dunstan and husband, Brett, of Boise, Idaho; 11 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild; and siblings, Faye Archibeque, Virgie Nickerson, Benny Chavez, Eleanor Reding, Mary Lou Mortenson and Bobby Chavez.
Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, Raymond Candelaria; a son, Remigio Candelaria; and her siblings, Celina Lynch, Helen Bridgeforth and Fred Chavez.
Services are under the direction of Ertel Funeral Home. To send condolences, log on to www.ertelfuneralhome.com and click on the obituary section.