Laura Wright Pettes

Laura Wright Pettes, 84, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, went home to be with the Lord on January 14, 2014. She was born August 9, 1929 in Milo, Oklahoma to Elmore and Rena Wright. Her family moved to Las Cruces around 1940 and she attended Booker T. Washington School, which at the time housed grades 1 - 12. She married Grover Lee Pettes, Sr. on November 4, 1945 after he persisted in asking her parents for her hand in marriage. Grover and Laura spent 68 amazing years together. She was a dedicated and devoted wife and mother. They raised an athletic, close-knit Christian family. She is survived by her children Grover L. Pettes, Jr. (Gloria, deceased); Shirley Marie Pettes Daniels and Steven Allen Pettes (Kerri), Las Cruces; Delores Jean Pettes Webb (Troy, deceased), Midland, Texas; and Marilyn Laurena Pettes Hill (Sidney), Corrales, New Mexico. Mrs. Pettes was affectionately called Bamie or Bommie by her grandchildren - Paula Daniels Miller (Mark), El Paso; Michelle Webb Lewis (Patrick), Steven Anderson Pettes and Travares Webb, Dallas, Texas; LaFonda Webb, Midland, Texas; Monjah Pettes Settles (Steven)and Clay, Las Cruces; Taisha Pettes, Las Vegas, Nevada; Nicholas Wilson, Atlanta, Georgia; Sebastian Pettes, Houston, Texas; and Donny and Sophia Pettes, Las Cruces. She was preceded in death by two of her grandchildren - Darryl Vance Daniels and Gerald Pettes. She has many great grandchildren. Mrs. Pettes grew up in a family with twelve siblings. She was preceded in death by Troy, Charles, Alvin, Jessie, Harold, Wilma Gean Wright Elder and Mary Ann Wright Buchanan Pritchard. She is survived by her siblings Tommy ((Ann), Las Vegas, Nevada; Mayrine Wilson Fielder (Harvey) and Morlon "E.W. ", Las Cruces; and Robert Earl, Mobile, Alabama. Mrs. Pettes worked at JCPenney for a number of years but spent most of her time helping her husband run the family-owned Mesa Development Center, Inc. located on the east mesa. Mrs. Pettes was very active in Bethel Second Baptist Church over the past 69 years. She was a deaconess, Sunday School teacher, chaperone for the children attending Sunday School congress and she served on numerous church auxiliaries. She could be found on Sunday mornings sitting on the second pew in one of her elaborate Sunday church hats (which are labeled and boxed at home in what has been dubbed the "hat room"). Mrs. Pettes loved people and "adopted" many younger people in the church and in the community. She had an uncanny ability to remember birthdays and would send birthday cards and cards for all occasions. She was a wiz at knitting and crocheting and made blankets for her children, grandchildren and friends. Mrs. Pettes was an excellent cook who was famous for her homemade German Chocolate cakes. She often mailed them to family and friends across the country. It was a big family deal to be around when the cake was first cut because everyone knew it would then disappear very quickly. Mrs. Pettes, the family matriarch, will be greatly missed by her her loving husband, family and friends. Visitation and Reflections will be Wednesday, January 22, 2014 from 5-7 at Getz Funeral Home, 1410 E. Bowman, Las Cruces, NM with a wake service to follow at 7pm. Her funeral service will be held Thursday, January 23, 2014 at 11:00 AM at Bethel Second Baptist Church, 405 E. Hadley, Las Cruces, NM, officiated by Rev. Gregory Arthur. Interment will be at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens. Donations will be accepted for the Robert Anderson (R.A.) Pettes Library at Bethel Second Baptist Church. PDF Printable Version