Elizabeth Joan Wooten, age 90, a faithful servant of the Lord, was called home to be with her Savior on May 2, 2026. A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend and neighbor, Joan spent her life nurturing others with care and grace. If she knew you, she was praying for you.
Joan was born on January 19, 1936, in Fordyce, Arkansas to the late Loyed A. and Lenora C. (Jordan) Langley. She was also preceded in death by the love of her life, her husband of 51 years, Robert H. "Bob" Wooten, her daughter Bobbie Ann Wooten, and her sister, Mary Williams.
Though Joan was born, raised and educated in Fordyce, she always said that her life never truly began until she met Bob. They met on a blind date in her junior year of high school. She joked that he was the first boy she ever kissed and he would be the last. . . and he was. They married soon after she graduated in 1954.
Bob and Joan started their family there in Fordyce where Joan started her career as a secretary as well. She worked for the Fordyce News Advocate and the Fordyce Lumber Company before the small family of five relocated to New Mexico. They lived in Roswell, Los Alamos, and finally Silver City, but Joan was always able to find work as a secretary - first with the oil companies in southeastern New Mexico, then with the scientific labs in Los Alamos, and finally with Phelps Dodge in Silver City. Joan always valued the friendships she made with the great people out at Tyrone. She retired from PD in 1996.
Joan was a home body. She loved her garden, Gospel music, reading her Bible and most of all her family.
She is survived by her daughters Debi Schmidt (Tip) of Prescott, AZ, and Linda Wooten of Silver City; grandchildren Mike Schmidt, Aryn Lambson (Cory) of Tucson, AZ, Mikiah Moore (Jeremy) of Vail, AZ, Ashley Rose Bobo of Silver City, and Azriel Rodriguez of El Paso, TX; great-grandchildren Rachel Bobo, Devaughn Wooten, Otis Lambson, Nicolas Bobo, Kailey Moore, Peyton Bobo, Acer Lambson and Christopher Moore.
At Joan's request, there will be no services. She wanted to leave loved ones with the message from the Great Apostle Paul from Philippians 4:13 -
"I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me."
Arrangements are with Terrazas Funeral Chapels. "Trusted care for the ones you love" ~ 575-537-0777. To send condolences, visit www.terrazasfuneralchapel.com.
