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When Loretta
Porter was a
girl, she
probably never
thought she
would live her
whole life in
one small
community,
Corona, N.M. Her
father, Claude,
and mother,
Susie, came to
Corona in 1908
with two
children and
livestock.
Claude filed on
160 acres under
the Homestead
Act of 1862. In
1909, Claude
moved a house
from a sawmill
in Red Cloud
Canyon for his
family, which
grew to include
seven more
children. That
homestead is
still in the
family.
Cowboy
and carpenter,
Claude worked at
the sawmill and
on the railroad
as a section
foreman.
Loretta, the
middle child,
was born March
3, 1914, in
Marlow, Okla.
Corona had no
doctors, but
because Claude
worked for the
railroad, he was
able to send
Susie to
Oklahoma for
Loretta's
birth.
"I
don't remember
ever being
hungry,"
Loretta says.
"We raised
hogs for ham,
bacon, sausage,
and lard. We
bought flour,
rice, and peanut
butter in
25-pound cans by
mail order from
Montgomery Ward
and Sears
Roebuck. In the
spring, we had
wild greens like
mustard,
lambs'
quarters,
careless weeds,
and tumbleweeds,
and a large
garden."
Chickens
and milk cows
furnished eggs,
milk, cheese and
butter. When
venison was
available, they
enjoyed the red
meat. For a cash
crop, they
raised pinto
beans.
During
her first three
years of school,
Loretta and her
siblings walked
a mile and a
half to a
one-room
schoolhouse on a
neighboring
ranch. By fourth
grade, they rode
a bus. The bean
harvest had
priority, so
they missed the
first few weeks
of school.
Loretta always
caught up and
was promoted to
fifth grade
during her
fourth-grade
year. In 1931,
she was
valedictorian of
her graduating
class.
After
high school,
Loretta worked
at DuBois Drug
Store, Roberts
Mercantile, and
the post office.
While at the
drugstore, she
met Floyd
Proctor who
homesteaded down
Gallo Canyon, 24
miles from
Corona, in 1924.
They were
married January
31, 1935 in
Albuquerque,
N.M.
Floyd and
Loretta raised
four boys and
four girls on
the homestead.
They raised
sheep and sold
the wool.
Loretta milked
cows and sold
the cream. She
cut fence posts
and stays,
hauled water,
chopped wood,
cooked on a
woodstove, and
washed clothes
on a rubboard
until she got a
washing machine
with a gaso1ine
engine in the
early '40s.
Loretta helped
Floyd shear
sheep for
neighbors until
the boys were
old enough to
help. They
raised dryland
beans and cane.
Floyd also
caught and sold
diamondback
rattlesnakes for
a dollar a
pound.
Loretta
drove a school
bus for 17
years. Part of
that time, her
bus route was
104 miles of
dirt road,
round-trip, with
54 gates.
In 1947,
Floyd and
Loretta's son,
seven-year-old
Dee, and
neighbor Mac
Brazel, found
the UFO crash
site of Roswell
fame on a
neighboring
ranch and
reported it to
the sheriff.
Loretta has been
interviewed many
times regarding
the crash and
the
"material"
Mac showed her.
According to
Loretta, "It
was not a
balloon that
crashed!"
Floyd
died in 1985.
Loretta married
Ellis Hodge,
also a "local
boy," in 2000
and moved up the
road a mere 17
miles from where
she had lived
for over 60
years. Ellis
passed away in
May of 2003.
"It
hasn't been an
easy life, but
it has been a
fulfilling life.
I raised a good
family who
learned to work,
respect other
people, and
value what they
have.",Loretta
has 24
grandchildren,
many
great-grandchildren,
several
great-great-grandchildren
and many others
who call her
"Granny."
All eight
children, their
families,
relatives, and
friends came
together on
Saturday, March
6, 2004 to honor
Loretta on her
90th birthday
and celebrate
her life.
Between 400 and
500 people
attended the
barbecue and
dance held at
the Corona
public school
facilities.
Loretta
says, "'We
cooked 24
briskets and two
turkeys for the
barbecue."
Yep!
She's still
eating red
meat!-Fran
Proctor
Summer
2004 Contents
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CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP:
Loretta sits
with her
children. Top
row L to R: Dee,
Floyd, Bo
(Norris) and
Sandy, Bottom
row L to R:
Sissy (Loretta),
Veda, Loretta,
Alma and Radina,
in front of the
schoolhouse
where all went
through grade
school.
Bo,
Dee and Floyd (l
to r) share a
burro while
Loretta holds
year-old Sissy
(1942).
Floyd
and Loretta
Proctor about
1931.
Loretta
at 90, dances
with
great-grandson
Kyle Shelley.
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