Pages past — May 3

On this date ...

1976: A Portales man was being described as a hero after he saved a 13-year-old Clovis boy from drowning at Dennis Chavez Lake.

Russell Burns, 13, and a friend were attempting to ride a Styrofoam raft on the pond when Russell fell in.

Gene Garcia, visiting from Portales, saw the accident and went to the boy’s aid.

“He deserves a citation from the city,” said Clovis Police Officer Frank Chadwick, who investigated the accident.

1971: Four Portales boys had been found dead in their closed camper at a campground near Pecos in Miguel County.

Police said the boys were apparently asphyxiated by butane gas in the camper.

The victims were identified as David Wayne Owen, 10, his brother Steven Owen Jr., 12, David Lockard, 9, and Glenn Leonard Burton, 10.

Officials said they were on a weekend church camping trip with three girls and a chaperoning couple.

1956: The blood bank at Clovis Memorial Hospital was full after 50 men from the 312th Air Base Group at Clovis Air Force Base donated a pint each.

The airmen responded after hospital officials received little response to their initial pleas for help.

Brig. Gen. William Momyer selected three officers to organize a campaign for the blood donations.

Pages Past is compiled by Editor David Stevens. For more regional history, check out his weblog at:

www.highplainsyesterdays.com