Joan Lovato

Joan Isabel Léger-Lovato

Joan Isabel Léger-Lovato passed peacefully on the morning of November 24, 2017; two months, three days shy of her 102st birthday. She was “Joanne,” “Joan,” “Juanita,” Wife, Sister, Prima, Friend, community leader, cook, gardener, seamstress, crafts artist, educator, mentor, canner, baker, cheese maker, Grandmother to 15, Great Grandmother to 19, Great-Great Grandmother to 3; but just Mama to her nine children.

Joan was born into ranch living in San Miguel County on January 27, 1916. She married Toribio Lovato, Jr. in 1938 in Santa Fe and in 1940 they moved to the Lovato homestead in Clapham, SW of Clayton; Toribio’s childhood home.

Joan, along side of her husband, best friend and love, was generous with time and effort amongst the endless tasks of raising a family and sustaining a predominately self-sufficient ranching and farming lifestyle. If anyone showed up hungry, everyone slid over to make space at her table. If a neighbor needed a helping hand, they were there without hesitation or judgment.

From 1945 onward, Joan was a member of the Clapham Home Extension Club where rural women cooperate to bring betterment to their families and communities through education, demonstrations and sharing… and a little competition. She always had multiple projects in various stages of completion which she would enter in the local and statewide Extension Club’s Cultural Arts Fairs and the Union County Fair. She was particularly gifted at sewing, crafts, baking and canning (pickled cucumbers extraordinaire), and has stacks of ribbons to prove it. She encouraged her children through 4-H Club and in school with advice that winning was not the end-all but a chance to try new things; the only requirement being to do ones very best. She served at every office and position in the Extension Club and was never short of ideas to inform through the creative process.

Joan’s loved the open spaces of Clapham and beyond, and relished the beautiful drives to work on and pray at the ancient churches in Miera and Bueyeros. Fond memories of community gatherings to pray for rain, picnic and playing baseball was the highlight of every summer.

She was honored to serve long terms with organizations whose focus is to further the interests of ranching and farming: Farm & Livestock Bureau, Lariat Cowbelles, Ute Creek Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Eastern New Mexico Area Agency on Aging. Some of her most prized mementos were awards, certificates of appreciation and recognition, ribbons for individual achievements and best-in-show achievements, plaques, Pioneer Woman of the Year pin, Fourth of July parade Marshal, Homemakers College diploma, which kept her energized and focused on what was important to families in New Mexico.

Joan’s children are very proud of their Mama, and wish to honor her century of giving with their extended Family, neighbors and friends at a Memorial Celebration on Saturday, January 27, 2018. Mass will be held at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 115 N. First St. in Clayton, at 10 AM, to be followed by lunch held in the Church Parish. Internment at the Clayton Cemetery will be private.
Contact: Ruth Lovato Dale 575-770-0913