Pauline Fern White
August 5, 1917 - February 24, 2010

Steed-Todd Funeral Home 800 East Manana Clovis, NM 88101 Map to Funeral Home Funeral San Jon United Methodist Church 223 N Sixth St San Jon ,  NM 88434 3/3/2010 at 10:30 a.m. Map to Funeral Home San Jon Cemetery San Jon, NM 88434 San Jon United Methodist Church - Memorial Fund 223 N. Sixth St. San Jon, NM 88434

Pauline Fern White, age 92, was born August 5, 1917, in Cameron, NM, to Andrew Cleveland and Coral Rose Mote Johnston. She died February 24, 2010, at Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 3, 2010, at the San Jon United Methodist Church in San Jon, NM, followed by a graveside service then a community-wide fellowship dinner at the San Jon Community Center.

She married Clark Thomas White November 28, 1936, near San Jon, NM. She was a survivor of an ear surgery, several childhood diseases including polio by the time she was six. She graduated from Bellview High School in 1935 and then worked at the California Cafe in San Jon. Her life was filled with being a wife; a homemaker; a Mother, a church organist/pianist; a Sunday School teacher; a Bible School organizer; a seamstress; a service station operator, an artist; a loyal school and community supporter. She was the bookkeeper for the family’s Continental Oil Company business. She was the Village Clerk for the San Jon Community for 18 years and then was elected Mayor from 1990 to 1998.

She received the Governor’s Outstanding New Mexico Woman Award for 1998.
In 2000, she received the John Companius Holm Award for outstanding participation as a volunteer observer for the National Weather Service.

In later years she felt the need for her family and friends to write down their life experiences. She has written her own story and tried to influence others to write theirs.

She has been a member of the San Jon United Methodist Church since 1937, with church participation as a big part of her life holding several positions in the local church as well as the church’s Women’s Society of Christian Service and United Methodist Women.

Survivors are a son, Gerald (Judy) White of San Jon, a daughter, Carol (Jerry) Nash of Clovis; grandchildren Joel (Darci) White, Shawn (Kim) White, Rob (Julie) White, Bill (June) Starnes; Kimberly Crocker; Dawn (Mark) Witten; great-grandchildren Branden (Kenna) White, Chris White, Whitney (Bryan) Boyd, Sarah White, Demi White, Christian Starnes, Hanna Starnes, Jessie Witten, and Clifford Witten; a great-great-granddaughter, Zaida White; a sister, Joyce (Irv) Wheeler of Lancaster, CA; a sister-in-law Phyllis White of Stillwater, MN; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and brothers Mansel and Melvin.

Pall Bearers will be Joel White, Shawn White, William Starnes, Mark Witten, Franklin Flint, Wade Lane, and Jim Lafferty.

Honorary Pall Bearers: Residents of the greater San Jon Community.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the San Jon United Methodist Church Memorial Fund. San Jon United Methodist Church, P.O. BOX 275, San Jon, NM 88434.

Mrs. White will lie in state at Steed-Todd from Sunday, February 28 to March 2. On Wednesday, March 3, she will lie in state at San Jon United Methodist Church from 9 a.m. until the service begins at 10:30 a.m. Then the casket will be closed at the beginning of the service and not reopened at the end. Burial will follow at the San Jon Cemetery in San Jon, New Mexico.