Carmen Appelzoller

It is with a heavy heart that we announce that our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, Carmen Olivas Appelzoller, age 54, of La Mesa, completed her life journey and entered eternal life to be with her Heavenly Father on February 24, 2018, surrounded by her loving spouse, daughters and grandchildren. She was born on October 18, 1963 in Las Cruces, NM to Leopoldo and Otilia Olivas, and shared her adored parents with her three brothers, Manuel, Pedro and Lorenzo Olivas, and five sisters, Eva Delgado, Lupe Maciel, Maria Olivas, Martha Marquez, and Virginia Dominguez. She married Federico Appelzoller Jr (parents Fred & Josie Appelzoller) of La Mesa on February 14, 1989 after dating for 5 years. She had two daughters, Delilah and Jennifer, and three grandchildren, Nevaeh, Naveen and Noah Appelzoller. Carmen was a graduate of Las Cruces High School who started her career in 1982 working for White Sands Missile Range. She went on to pursue a lifelong journey working with the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Department in 1987. She left for a period to work for the State of NM Department of Transportation, but returned to work for the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Department again, where she retired in 2014 after receiving several awards and recognitions for her work. Carmen was a social butterfly who took pride in treating people as she wanted to be treated. Because of this, she earned much love and respect from everyone she crossed paths with, both personally, and professionally. She was an avid Cowboys fan who enjoyed any excuse to get together with family and friends to go out to eat, have cookouts, movie nights, and go on road trips, especially to Ruidoso. She dedicated most of her life to her children and grandchildren; always attending baseball games and school functions without failure. Carmen's selfless demeanor, her ability to always have time to listen and portray positivity in her outlook on life, her undeniable faith in Christ, her distinct laugh and beautiful smile will be greatly missed by all who are left to mourn her, including not just her immediate family and in-laws, but her dozens of nieces and nephews, her DASO family, and her dozens of friends she made over the course of her lifetime. She was preceded in death by her parents Leopoldo C. Olivas in 1985 and Otilia R. Olivas in 2017; two brothers-in-law, Gerardo Provencio and Thomas Marquez; and three nephews, Isaiah Martinez, Tommy Evaro and Miguel Evaro Jr. Services will take place on Friday March 9, 2018 at Mesilla Park Community Church 1040 El Paseo Rd, Las Cruces, NM 88001, where at 2:00 pm, a time of remembrance will commence with Pastor Ruben Valenzuela officiating the service.