Obituaries

Lester Coleman Rogers, 95, went home to be with the Lord surrounded by his loving family on April 24. Lester was born in Hurley, NM on September 28, 1930, to Lee and Ula (Greer) Rogers. He grew up in Bayard and attended Hurley High School. After high school in 1949 Lester joined the Navy. He was discharged in 1956 and married the love of his life, Norma Lea Shepherd of Bayard. They were married for 59 wonderful years and had three beautiful daughters.

Lester was employed at the mine for a short period of time and then went to work in the Bayard post office. He was appointed Postmaster and served as such until his retirement. Lester and Norma were a great dance team. Lester was fond of saying "they danced many a mile". He loved the outdoors. His hobbies were gardening, camping, hunting and fishing.

Lester is survived by his sister, Glenda Nelson of Safford, AZ; sister-in-law, Judy Rogers; his daughters, Shareen Rogers, Shannon Davila and Ivy Sharilin Rogers; and five grandchildren, Sean Davila (Cindy), Jason Davila (Gloria), Aimee Davila (Gabe), Amanda Blount (Jeremy), Kristy Rogers (Matt & Christina); thirteen great-grandchildren, Alyssa, C.J., Damian, Zoe, Mia, Nora, Evan, David, Diana, Pat, Keileigh, Michael and Sofie; five great-great-grandchildren, Angel, Ruby, Jackson, Margaret, and Elizabeth. He leaves numerous nieces and nephews that he loved dearly.

Ernestina B. Martinez, 93, a resident of Santa Clara, NM, entered eternal rest Monday, April 27, 2026, at her daughter's residence, in Silver City, NM.  Arrangements are pending with Terrazas Funeral Chapels ~ 575-537-0777. 

Joshua W. Wells, 77, passed away on March 14, 2026, at his cabin in Mimbres, New Mexico, as the result of devastating injuries to his hip, spine, and lungs from a fall on January 26, 2026. 

He leaves behind his grieving "Family of Friends," as well as former students from around the world and country. He is remembered by his students and colleagues at Bayard Elementary as a one-of-a-kind  teacher who changed many lives with his energy, passion, and love. He was awarded "Teacher of the Year" from schools in Michigan, New Mexico, China, and Kazakhstan. 

Joshua was born on May 11, 1948. He pursued higher education in science and educational leadership in Maine, Illinois, and Michigan, earning five degrees. He returned to New Mexico to earn his doctorate in  Educational Management, Curriculum Design and Development from the University of New Mexico in  Albuquerque. Upon retirement, he switched course to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from  the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, which he completed in 2020. 

At IAIA, he was required to present a culminating project. Joshua set out on what would become his artistic "oeuvre": a collection of assemblages and sculptures telling the story of The Great Migration, when emancipated Black Americans moved north and west to find a better life for their families. These  works are gut-wrenching, poignant visual representations of the human struggle. He has shown several of these works in Silver City exhibitions through the Silver City Art Association and the Grant County Art Guild since 2022. 

Lester Rogers, 85, a resident of San Lorenzo, NM entered eternal rest Friday, April 24, 2026 at his daughter's residence.  Arrangements are pending with Terrazas Funeral Chapels ~ 575-537-0777.

Sharon Baum, 80, a resident of Silver City, New Mexico, entered eternal rest on, Saturday, April 4, 2026, at Fort Bayard Medical Center.  She was born on July 1, 1945, to Walter William Walker and Velma Rae Ashcraft, in Altus, Arkansas. 

Sharon was raised in Los Alamos, NM. She had wonderful memories about growing up in a secret town. She married Fred in 1968 and moved to Silver City. They had one daughter, Kim. She worked for many years at the local cable office and in the Office of Medical Records at Gila Regional Medical Center. She loved her daughter Kim and son-in-law Dan Otero, her granddaughters Sari and Nichole and her grandson in law, Matthew and her three great grandchildren Danni, Belle and Matthew Jr with all her heart. She treasured spending time with family and special friends! 

Todd Bryan Crosby, 55, of Silver City, NM, passed away on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Silver City, NM.  Born on November 2, 1970, to Bob Crosby, and Sharon (Rowley) Crosby, in Boca Raton, Fl. 

Todd was employed at Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House, in Pinos Altos, NM, where he will be greatly missed. 

Todd is survived by his son Elijah Crosby, his father Bob Crosby, his stepfather Lawrence W. Ferrin  and stepmother Amie Ferrin who raised him and his brother since he was 2 years old, his brother Troy Storm, his partner Luan Dix Mitchell, his grandchildren, Aubriella, Aurora, Zephaniah, niece Laura Lee Alcala (Francisco), great nephew Francisco "Bear" Alcala, and his brother in law, Francisco Villa, nephews Franky and Daniel Villa . He was preceded in death by his mother Sharon (Rowley) Crosby, and sister Tracy Crosby. 

Todd will be missed by all who knew and loved him. 

Arrangements are with Terrazas Funeral and Crematory Chapels "Trusted care for the ones you love" ~ 575-537-0777.  To send condolences, visit www.terrazasfuneralchapel.com 

Daniel Walter Gaiser Jr., 80, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on April 19, 2026, in Silver City, NM, with his son, James (Skippy) Sanders, at his side. Born on January 27, 1946, in Spokane, WA, Dan was the eldest of 3 siblings. Dan was a high achiever in high school and also worked as a US Forest Service aid. Dan lived a life dedicated to helping others as well as traveling and living overseas.

Dan graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane in 1964 and from Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington in 1968. He got his MBA from Boston University in the mid 1970's and later graduated with his MSW from University of New England (UNE) in Biddeford, ME in 1996, after which Dan served as a clinical social worker at Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME until 2020 when he retired.

After graduating from Whitman College, Dan joined the army where he was trained in Arabic and Prisoner-of-War Interrogation. After his stint in the Army, Dan went to Saudi Arabia where he taught English for a year and then traveled by motorcycle through the Middle East to Greece. It was Dan's love of Greece that attracted him to his son's mother in 1977. He crashed a folk-dance camp where Dottie (Sanders) Lacy was dressed in a Greek costume because she too was a fan of Greece.

Edward J. Estrada, 75, lifelong resident of Lordsburg passed away Saturday April 18, 2026.  A rosary will be Saturday May 2, 2026 at 8 o'clock in the morning at St. Joseph's Catholic Church to be led by Carlos Bejarano.  A memorial mass will follow at 9 o'clock with Fr. Jude Okonkwo officiating.  Concluding services and inurnment will be at Shakespeare Cemetery.

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