In tribute: Remembering friends lost in 2020

Editor's note: We may forever remember 2020 as a year best forgotten. But some of the people who left us this year should never be forgotten. Here's a small sampling of friends and neighbors who passed in 2020, and made our communities better places while they were here. Readers are invited to post their own memories of those lost on our Facebook page.

Mikayla Moore, 16, June 20

She played with the manatees, dolphins and kissed a sting ray. She had a wicked sense of humor and cared deeply for others. She often bought meals for the homeless. At Clovis Christian School, she was picked to sing a solo as she had near perfect pitch.

Ella Fenn, 108, Dec. 16

She was proud of her age and attributed her longevity to faith, work ethic and a conservative lifestyle. She never owned a credit card. She ate what she wanted - usually an ice cream sandwich, some type of chocolate candy and a Dr Pepper every day.

G. C. Ross, 82, Aug. 21

His theme was that of love because, he said, “I was born on Valentine's Day.” A longtime educator, he lived a balanced life with an emphasis on body, soul and spirit. He loved running, especially with his yellow lab, Hailey.

Mary Mendoza, 96, Nov. 1

Everyone knew her as a waitress at The Guadalajara Restaurant & Casillas Food Market before she became operator/owner. Mary was known for selling her famous penny candy and all the local kids called it “Mary's Store.”

Claude Riley, 100, Oct. 27

He played on the 1938 undefeated Muleshoe Mules football team. In 1942, he moved to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to help rebuild the area after it was bombed. Some of the giant cranes he worked on in the dry-dock area still stand today.

Joyce Cone, 78, Aug. 31

She contracted polio at age 4 and was in an iron lung. She pushed forward with spirit and determination and became a lifelong promoter of agriculture. She was editor of a statewide stock show newspaper, the Show Case, and played a mean game of tether ball.

James Terry, 73, Jan. 4

A farmer and a preacher, he loved planting season. He also loved cutting hay and seeing fields head high with feed. He didn't have a lot of hobbies. Mostly, he enjoyed praying while driving a tractor. All tractors had to be John Deere, which wasn't negotiable.

Phil Williams, 80, April 30

His lifelong love of model trains was displayed in the Clovis Depot Model Train Museum. He worked 33 years for the National Security Agency, recruited because he loved radios and was fluent in Spanish. He also earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry.

Jake Moberly, 86, Oct. 22

A farmer, rancher, banker and dentist, he was also a civic leader and volunteer. Thanksgiving and Christmas parties in the garage were his specialty. He loved decorating and hosting the gatherings.

His dental patients loved his funny jokes and stories.

Joan Clayton, 91, April 17

She taught school for nearly 40 years, then began a second career as a writer. She published more than 1,000 newspaper articles, wrote nine books and had 13 stories published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series.

Roy Munoz, 42, Dec. 4

Always smiling, compassionate and kind, he was named Muleshoe's Sweetheart in 2008 by the Muleshoe Nursing Home. Family described him as a great brother bear, son and husband. He was non-judgmental and down to earth.

Caya Williams, 38, Nov. 29

She always made sure her mother took her medication and kept up doctors' appointments. She frequently wrote, “I love you, Mama,” in text messages. Her little brother said she made every day fun.

She was a champion eater who barely weighed 100 pounds.