During the early morning hours of August 20, 2026, life- long Grant County resident, F. E. (Pete) Wilmeth, passed away. He had recently been in the care of Desert Peaks Assisted Living and Memory Care in Las Cruces, but his life's home was Silver City and the Gila Valley at Cliff, the latter of which he spent his childhood and his young adult life. A son of a pioneering family, the Wilmeths arrived in New Mexico in 1900 from Texas. His parents, Albert and Sabre Wilmeth, spent all but their last years in Grant County.
He attended grade school and high school at Cliff at a time when Cliff schools were consolidated into an independent district and separate from Silver City. That school district, consolidated in 1917, was an undertaking the citizens of Cliff accomplished folding the various one room schools around the area into a first through 12th grade system. Local rancher, farmer, and respected community leader, Lee Rice, pushed the effort spending a year riding the district promoting the consolidation effort. He and his wife, Mary Belle (Shelley) Rice then donated the land where the school was first built and remains on the land to this day. One of Lee's granddaughters, would become the life-long partner of Pete who would eventually choose education as a career from his start at that rural school.
Pete spent his life up until he was married, though, on the family ranch at Sycamore, working on McMillen Ranches, and packing for the Forest Service starting late in the war years. In 1948, he married that noted child of the Gila River Valley, Joan Rice. To the couple, four children were born; Susan (deceased), Steve, Paul, and Mary Kristen (died at childbirth). Pete and Joan had been married for 72 years when Joan died in 2020. Until the time of Joan's death, they continued to live in the house on Little Walnut Road, a home they built together in 1961 that so many friends and neighbors knew so well.
To the greater community of Silver City, Mr. Wilmeth, was known to thousands of students as a teacher and a guidance counselor. Starting in 1960 at North Silver his first sixth grade class became the graduating class of 1966 at Silver High School. His own kids followed those children in 1967, 1969, and 1973, respectively. From the classroom at North Silver, he moved to Stout Junior High which became La Plata Junior High in the '70s.
Pete and Joan started their marriage and spiritual life together at Cliff as Presbyterians at the old club house. From there, the church moved into the old Pennington grocery store. That little white church served as church home of Trinity Presbyterian Church. It was also where their two older children first attended Sunday School.
When Pete decided an education was his best choice of better things, the family moved to town and he enrolled at what became Western New Mexico University. As a teachers' college, he chose education as his major. In his first semester, he was required to take an industrial arts class and his project became the wrought iron sign, TRINITY, that hung on the front of the old church for years before a new building was built. The latter was the church Pete and Joan returned to later when their children were grown.
At the time of Pete's death, he had two living children, seven great grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, and eight great-great-grandchildren. Along with his family, the extended family, many friends, and the memory of the thousands of students Mr. Wilmeth impacted as an educator will join at the Mesa Cemetery at Cliff, 10:00am, September 5, 2026 for graveside inurnment and the celebration of his 98-year life lived gracefully and well.
Cremation has taken place at Terrazas Crematory. Arrangements are with Terrazas Funeral Chapels and Crematory "Trusted care for the ones you love" ~ 575-537-0777. To send condolences, visit www.terrazasfuneralchapel.com.
