Gallup boy faces illness with humor
James Staley
Staff Writer
GALLUP — A trio of rambunctious young boys, free of school
for the summer, spend their afternoons giggling. They playfully
roughhouse as they bounce on a backyard trampoline, golf a round
on the links of a PlayStation and perform classic scenes from
their favorite movies. Their high spirits are contagious.
Spread between two recliners and a sofa, the boys continue laughing
while chomping chilled cantaloupe slivers and telling war stories
of Little League football. Two of them have been friends since
they were toddlers and played on the same gridiron team, making
up the offensive backfield.
Just by his attitude, you would never guess that a member of the
inseparable threesome Jacob Rich, 10 has had leukemia for the
last six years. The condition forces him to endure fits of nausea,
doses of toxic chemicals and handfuls of pills, but none of this
seems to faze him.
"I'm used to it," Jacob says as he teases the family
dog, Jasmine. His tone of voice is as cool and calm as a small
mountain lake.
Jacob was 4 years old when doctors diagnosed him with acute leukemia,
a form of blood cancer. He remembers feeling tired, getting nosebleeds,
bruising easily and a brutal case of chicken pox that included
a 105-degree fever before the initial diagnosis.
From May to December of last year, the cancer was in remission.
Jacob's energy soared, allowing him to participate in football.
He loved it.
"I really like tackling," says Jacob, who split gridiron
time between fullback and strong safety positions.
Katrina Rich, Jacob's mother, says her son reminds her of Adam
Sandler's hard-hitting character in "The Waterboy" when
he's on the field.
"He was just a skinny little guy who liked to knock down
huge guys," she said.
Jacob's happy attitude and sharp sense of humor come from his
parents. They try not to limit his activity despite his condition
and, at times, help him laugh at leukemia. They do not treat him
as if he is ill.
"He's not sick, he just has cancer," Katrina says of
her son.
When chemotherapy caused Jacob's brown hair to fall out in large
clumps, he had fun with his shedding scalp. Jacob pulled out his
hair by the fistful instead of shaving his head.
"It was funny because it freaked my mom out," Jacob
recalls. Katrina just grins and shakes her head when she remembers
the incident.
Chemotherapy drugs attack the body's fastest-growing cells. This
includes cancerous cells and some healthy cells like hair follicles.
After the chemotherapy sessions end, the hair usually returns.
The only hint of negativity Jacob shows regarding his leukemia
revolves around the recent publicity he has been getting.
In April the Western Health Foundation and United Blood Services
started a drive to find funds and bone marrow donors for Jacob
because he needs a bone marrow transplant. The effort has resulted
in flyers bearing his mug, radio and television spots, and announcements
at school promoting various fund raisers. Jacob doesn't like the
attention.
Zac Rich, Jacob's 7-year-old brother, doesn't understand his sibling's
shyness. "I wish (the announcements) would say 'and his brother
is Zac Rich,'" Zac says.
Community pitches in
The Jacob Rich Bone Marrow Match Fund was created to raise money
for the costs of the transplant operation and the blood testing.
Each sample of blood tested for its bone marrow factors costs
$20. These blood tests require more information than simple blood
type.
Local people responded to the cause.
Vice President of Development for Rehoboth McKinley Christian
Health Care Services Herb Mosher said, "This was the first
time people from Gallup went on the national marrow registry."
Mosher said 208 local people were tested and put on the national
registry.
Thirteen local businesses and organizations generously gave money
to the campaign. Individuals donated a total of $133.
Eventually a blood match for Jacob was found in a placenta from
Europe. Jacob is scheduled to undergo a bone marrow transplant
June 18 in Tucson, Ariz.
The fund-raising effort has raked in $7,844.46 over the last few
months. After paying for the 208 tests, WHF presented the Rich
family with a $5,200 check Wednesday to cover the cost of the
procedure.
"It's nice to see everyone who helps," Katrina said.
"They took off work again to help again."
During the ceremony at the Fire Station at Second and Nizhoni
Jacob received several gifts as about 40 onlookers enjoyed ice
cream sundaes. After the presentations, the original trio of Jacob,
Zac and Bubba Bonsall became junior firefighters.
Jacob and his chums cruised in a huge ladder truck, controlled
the 75-foot ladder and frolicked around in the fire house. In
his first official act as honorary fire chief, Jacob, a good-natured
smart aleck, approved a tongue-in-cheek 20 percent raise for Gallup
firefighters.
The summer months only get busier for the Rich family. Jacob will
attend a Cancer Camp in Alamogordo, N.M., June 10-16.
The camp serves as a retreat for children with all types of cancer.
Many of the counselors are survivors of childhood cancer.
As soon as the camp is over, Jacob and his parents will drive
to Tucson where Jacob will receive the transplant June 18. He
will remain in Tucson for three to four months to recover.
"I feel pretty good about it," Jacob said. "I won't
have to go to school for a whole year yeah."
There are 144,000 leukemia patients in the United States and physicians
diagnose 28,500 new cases each year. Leukemia
affects people of every race and gender but is most common in
white males. Jacob's type of leukemia is most commonly found in
children.
Over the last 40 years, the five-year survival rate of leukemia
has tripled. This, in the most part, reflects huge strides in
research and treatment.
For information on how to become a potential bone marrow donor,
contact Wendy Heinz of RMCHCS at (505) 863-7287.
| Top |
Muscle cars: Gallup under stylish Viper
attack
Dallas Moyer
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Gallup, with its quiet atmosphere and serene landscapes,
has seen an increase in its Viper population but not of the slithering
and hissing kind.
George Farris, Al Myman and Mike Si Tu have brought Chrysler's pride
and joy the Viper to Gallup. Over the past few years, these so called
"muscle" cars three here so far have been causing many people
to stop and admire them.
But the story of the "Gallup Three" found its roots on the
other side of the country.
In 1989, Dodge's vision of the muscle car of the future was unveiled.
The 400-horsepower, V-10 Dodge Viper was introduced to the car industry
at an auto show in Washington.
George Farris fell in love with the car at first sight. He followed
the car's progress from design and testing to the final product in
1992.
"It's the most beautiful car I had ever seen," Farris said.
"But I couldn't get one because I had four kids in college."
In February 1994, following the graduation of his four children from
college, Farris hit the networking of dealers, enthusiasts and muscle
car magazines to find his dream. He found a red RT/10 Viper sitting
in a Philadelphia showroom "begging" him to come take it
home.
At that time, only about 1,500 Vipers had been built of which about
one-quarter had been shipped overseas.
Through a gauntlet of foul weather and gawking onlookers fighting
to get a glimpse of sheer beauty, Farris drove his rare jewel of a
car to his Springfield, Va., home.
"Owning a Viper is like becoming an instant celebrity,"
Farris said. "If you don't like talking to people, don't buy
a Viper."
In July 1994, Farris and his wife, Jane, drove to the first Viper
Owner's Invitational in Detroit where they and other new owners met
the men who made their dreams come true.
This annual event offers track and driving exercises, skills classes,
elegant dining in the evenings and lots of "car-nut" camaraderie.
From 1994-98, Farris became an expert on the Viper and even designed
two add-ons. The first was a pneumatic trunk kit to avert smashed
fingers and bumped heads. The other was a starter button, which Daimler/Chrysler
will install in the 2003 model.
"I just decided to start playing around with the setup of the
car," Farris said. "I just carried ideas from where Daimler/Chrysler
left off to a finished product."
The summer of 1999 brought the Farris couple to their present home
in Gallup. The couple was the first and only owners of a Viper in
the city. The serene skylines, beautiful landscapes and endless desert
roads placed Farris and his Viper in perfect driving conditions.
"New Mexico is a great state for cruising in the Viper,"
Farris said. "Much better than the choking traffic of the Washington,
D.C., area."
Club started
Upon his arrival, Farris joined the Arizona/New Mexico Viper Club.
After months of Internet chatting with other New Mexico Viper owners,
Farris founded a separate New Mexico Viper Club in February 2000 with
eight other New Mexico owners.
"The distance was just too great for me to participate,"
Farris said. "I met some other New Mexico Viper owners from the
trunk kit and we decided to start our own club."
With Farris' vast knowledge of the car and its designers, he was the
landslide winner of the club's first presidency. Farris has seen 22
of 35 New Mexico Viper owners join after the club's founding.
"Owning a Viper will change your life," Farris said. "Actually,
the car takes over your life."
Along with the founding of the club, the "Viper Shrine"
found its way into the Farris' two-car garage. The shrine consisted
of about 20 framed posters and convention photos, Viper memorabilia,
toy cars and a bone yard made of old parts replaced from the Viper.
Using her sewing and craft skills, Jane soon developed the only Viper
bears in existence, sold annually at the Viper convention. Each bear
was adorned with the Viper logo on its sweatshirt, a cool pair of
dark sports glasses and other catchy garb.
"I put the logo on the bears each year," Jane said. "I
have the logo digitized and put into sewing machine language for sewing.
We might have the New Mexico Viper Club symbol digitized and put on
the bears for next year."
Like an infectious disease, "Viper Fever" caught on in Gallup
once the Farris couple arrived on the scene. Myman purchased a steel-grey
2000 Viper and Si Tu, with the help of Farris, soon purchased a beast
of his own.
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Kiro indicted for murder
Faces numerous assault charges
Andrea Egger
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Grand jurors indicted Robert Kiro Friday afternoon in
the murder of Gallup Police Cpl. Larry Brian Mitchell and for a host
of other crimes.
Kiro's case has been assigned to District Judge Grant Foutz. An arraignment
must be set within 15 days.
At issue at the arraignment will be Kiro's bond. He is currently being
held at the McKinley County Detention Center on no bond.
District Attorney Karl Gillson said it was a very difficult assignment
for the grand jury. "They had a lot of responsibility on their
shoulders," Gillson said.
Kiro's attorney, Trienah Gorman of Albuquerque, who works in the Capital
Crimes Division of the New Mexico Public Defender's Office, couldn't
be reached for comment.
Kiro also was indicted on three counts of attempted murder, concerning
Gallup Police officers Michael Mitchell, Matthew Wright and Lt. Jess
Watkins.
Kiro was initially charged with attempted murder in Michael Mitchell's
case because he was shot in the back. The crimes against Wright and
Watkins are new.
Kiro was indicted on seven counts of aggravated assault on a police
officer, concerning McKinley County Sheriff's Lt. Clayton Garcia,
Gallup Police officers Capt. Bobby Silva, Owen Pena, Sgt. Rick White,
Todd Heaton and Sgt. Brian Guillen.
He was also indicted on aggravated assault, concerning Kiro's girlfriend,
Julie Montoya, and their daughter, Tasha Kiro.
At trial, Gillson and co-prosecutors Jim Bierly and Deputy District
Attorney Joseph Arite, will have to prove to jurors whether the charge
involving Tasha Kiro should be aggravated assault or child abuse.
Placing a child in a situation that might endanger the child's life
is a third-degree felony, whereas aggravated assault is a fourth-degree
felony. Third-degree felonies carry a basic sentence of three years
in prison, where fourth-degree felonies carry a basic sentence of
18 months in prison.
For the murder charge, Kiro could face life in prison or death by
lethal injection.
On May 30, Kiro, of 680 Murray Lane in Red Hills Mobile Home Park,
shot at Gallup Police SWAT team members Cpl. Larry Brian Mitchell
and Gallup Officer Michael Mitchell as the two entered his home, guns
poised, after a nine-hour stand-off with Kiro. Cpl. Mitchell got shot
under the armpit, above his bulletproof vest.
He died at Gallup Indian Medical Center.
Officer Michael Mitchell got shot in the back. The bullet was stopped
by his bulletproof vest, but he had bruising to the back
from the impact.
Before the officers entered the trailer, McKinley County Sheriff's
deputies fired several canisters of tear gas into the trailer. The
tear gas didn't seem to affect Kiro, who fired repeatedly at police.
The Mitchells, who are not related, entered the south door, not knowing
that Kiro was in a south bedroom. Meanwhile, Lt. Richard Perez, Lt.
Jess Watkins, Sgt. Brian Guillen and officers Tod Heaton and Matthew
Wright entered the trailer through the north door.
Of the Gallup Police SWAT team, the two Mitchells have the least amount
of police experience and were put in a team together to storm the
south door. Kiro also reportedly shot at but missed the team at the
north door.
"I've never seen that much gunfire," said Gallup Police
Capt. Bobby Silva in a press conference hours after the shooting.
Police fired back at Kiro but missed him. They retreated after the
Mitchells were shot, and asked the New Mexico State Police tactical
team from Albuquerque to take over.
The state police also asked the Albuquerque Police SWAT team for help.
Kiro waved a white flag out a window that was broken out by the tear
gas canisters and surrendered before the out-of-town SWAT teams could
take action.
It was a domestic incident that began the 11-hour stand-off, at 10:30
p.m. May 29. Kiro told State Police Criminal Investigator Kevin Bruno
that he argued with his girlfriend, Julie Montoya.
She threw some of his clothes outside the trailer and left with their
daughter, Tasha Kiro. Robert Kiro didn't mention waving a gun at Montoya
or his daughter, but Montoya told police later that he did so before
they left.
A child possibly Tasha Kiro called 911 and hung up.
Gallup Police Sgt. Rick White and Officer Owen Pena arrived and were
given a key to the trailer by Montoya. They opened the door and identified
themselves to Kiro.
Kiro told Bruno that he told them to leave, and when they didn't,
he fired a round at them.
Kiro didn't tell Bruno that his sister, Irma, pleaded with him to
come out of the house and talk to the police. He didn't tell Bruno
that McKinley County Sheriff's Lt. Clayton Garcia and Silva tried
to talk him out of the house.
He didn't tell Bruno that Silva came into the trailer to talk to him
and Silva left after Kiro refused.
Kiro simply told Bruno that several hours later, police stormed his
trailer. When he saw the gun barrels the Mitchells carried, he fired
in the direction of the barrels.
They fired back, and he emptied his 9 mm handgun.
| Top |
N.M. High School State Rodeo Finals
Local cowgirls share spotlight
Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer
CHURCH ROCK — Local cowgirls Arlita Long of Twin Lakes and Chelsee
Byerley of Gallup shared the spotlight during the first round of the
New Mexico State Finals Rodeo Friday at Red Rock State Park.
For rookie high school cowgirl Long, who was not a frequent competitor
at the high school rodeos this past season, the first round turned
out to be a pleasant surprise. For Byerley, who is quickly becoming
a seasoned veteran in her second year of high school rodeo competition
and who did not miss a single high school rodeo this year, it was
business as usual.
Competing in her first year of high school rodeo but in her final
year of eligibility, the 18-year-old Long topped the field in the
breakaway roping competition, winning the first go round of competition.
Byerley, who had already clinched her second consecutive barrel racing
state title, claimed the pole bending state title as well and advances
to her second straight trip to nationals in her second year of high
school rodeo competition.
The State Finals Rodeo continues today with the second go round with
performances at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The short go finals will be
held Sunday at 10 a.m. with the top 10 in each of the 10 events competing.
The top four in each event qualify for the National High School Finals
Rodeo July 22-29 in Springfield, Ill.
Twin Lakes' Long posted a quick 3.21 second clocking riding her three-year-old
horse Bunny who was born on Easter Sunday, to claim the first round
of the breakaway roping competition.
"Now I got money to spend," Long laughed about her payoff.
Clovis' Billie Joe Herring, who was trailing in second place in the
breakaway season standings, finished second with a 3.54
with Kimberly Howard of Elida third with a 4.06. Grants' Jenna Lucero
placed ninth (13.55) after a 10-second broken barrier penalty.
"It was weird since I missed six high school rodeos for IJRA
(Indian Junior Rodeo Association) rodeos," admitted Long. "My
dad Emerson is the IJRA president and I'm the student body secretary
and treasurer. So it was weird experiencing high school rodeo again
after doing the junior rodeos."
In her first and final year of high school rodeo competition, Long
says she was until this Sunday to decide where she wants to attend
college.
"I have three choices, Odessa Junior College, Eastern Oklahoma
State College or Dine College," she said. "I have to make
my decision by Sunday in time for my graduation reception at Red Rock
State Park. I want to announce my choice at the reception."
Long says she's leaning towards staying closer to home by attending
Dine College in Tsaile, Ariz. and competing on the college rodeo team
and majoring in elementary education.
"I'm Daddy's girl," she said with a wide smile. "I
don't want to move away from home yet."
Long has experienced success at the junior rodeo level, having won
the senior IJRA all-around title the last three years after claiming
the junior all-around title for two years in a row before that.
"I just wasn't ready for it (high school rodeos)," said
Long who graduated from Tohatchi High a couple of weeks ago.
For Byerley, now with three state titles in just two short years of
high school rodeos, finishing the state finals rodeo with clean runs
in both the pole bending and barrel racing is utmost in her mind.
"I just want to make clean runs," Byerley said. "I
feel less pressure now. I feel relaxed. There is still a little pressure.
I just want to do good. I was really nervous going into the poles
today since it was so close (in the season standings). I didn't think
about making a fast run this morning (during the morning session).
Shoo Fly did it all."
Actually Byerley had a 28-point lead over second place Julie Jones
of Bosque in the pole bending season standings prior to the state
finals rodeo, 156 to 128.
Byerley topped the pole bending field for the first go round with
a winning time of 20.216 seconds with Jones finishing right behind
with a 20.424. Beverly Kohls of Los Lunas finished third with a 20.560
while Grants cowgirl Jenna Lucero, who had already grabbed the Girls
Rookie of the Year honor, placed fourth with a 20.673. Lindsay Elkins
of Grants finished ninth at 21.816.
Now Byerley is sitting in first with an insurmountable 166 point total
to 137 points for Jones, a margin of 29 points. A maximum of 20 points
is up for grabs in the last two go rounds of competition for a pair
of firsts making Byerley uncatchable. However Jones is continuing
to run away with the girls all-around title with a huge lead over
Tonya Bixler of Aztec, 539 points to 379.
Jones and Bixler both had solid first days at the state finals.
Jones, who was leading in the season all-around standings, placing
first in the goats, second in the poles, third in the barrels and
seventh in the breakaway. Bixler also placed in four events, taking
sixth in the breakaway, barrels and team roping and 10th in the goat
tying.
The team roping combination of John Boyd III of Greasewood, Ariz.
and Donnie Barney of Sanders, Ariz. captured second place in the team
roping during the opening round, posting an 8.36. The Tularosa team
of Ty Trammell and James Gililland increased their lead in the team
standings with a first place performance, posting a 7.96. The Crownpoint
team of Cauy and Reid Francisco endangered their spot of qualifying
for nationals by posting a no time.
With steer wrestler Lyle Arviso of Navajo, who was sitting in second
place in the season standings and a sure bet to qualify for nationals,
out of the state finals with an injury from a car accident, the steer
wrestling competition became wide open for the rest of the contestants.
Anthony Duran of La Jara, who was third in the season standings, claimed
the first go round as he wrestled his steer down in 6.78 seconds.
Season leader Dusty Chavez of Bosque Farms, who had already locked
up the bulldogging state title, took second with a 9.00. Amos Gruber
of Ya-ta-hey, was third (12.45) with Julio Mitchell of Brimhall fourth
(18.80).
Despite being 20th in the season standings, Albuquerque's Josh Brown
topped the calf roping field as he roped and tied his calf in 10.7
seconds. Kyle Bramwell of La Plata, fifth in the standings, took second
with a 12.69. Donnie Barney of Sanders was third with a 13.28.
Bosque's Julie Jones clinched the goat tying state title as she won
the first go round of competition, posting a winning tiem of 7.63
seconds. Jones now leads in the season standings with 214 points with
second place Tonya Bixler of Aztec trailing in second with 175 points.
Twin Lakes' Long placed fifth with a 9.08 while Gallup's Vanderwagon
finished ninth (10.07).
Blanco's Nancy Velasquez was the top barrel racer as she covered the
clover leaf pattern with a winning time of 16.636 over Beverly Kohls
of Los Lunas (16.796) and Jones (16.868). Gallup's Vanderwagon finished
fourth (16.913) with defending state champion Byerley fifth (16.952).
Fort Wingate's Sunny Storer was eighth (17.080) with Yolanda Nez of
Kirtland ninth (17.112).
Dusty Higgins of Roswell moved into a first place tie in the bareback
season standings by finishing first in the first go round
with a 61 score. Season leader Stetson Herrera of Marvel, Colo. posted
a no score. Jesse Townsend of Ruidoso solidified his hold on third
place in the standings with a 58 for second as only two rides were
posted.
GB Oliver of La Luz posted the lone score in the saddle bronc competition
with a 66 for first to past Jordan Davis of Gila in
the season standings, 175 points to 171.5. Davis had a no score.
Higgins, who led in the season standings by a comfortable margin,
also claimed the bull riding with a winning ride of 78 to
pad his lead for a possible state title. Herrera, who was in fourth
place heading to the state finals, took second with a 67.
| Top |
Thoreau Elementary recieves $53,000 for
school reform
Staff Report
GALLUP — Thoreau Elementary will receive $53,000 for school reform
after the New Mexico Department of Education awarded $1.06 million
to state schools.
Superintendent Robert Gomez could not be reached for comment.
Thoreau is one of 20 public schools in 12 districts in the state that
are receiving the money from the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration
Program funds through Title I and Title X, according to a news release
from the state Department of Education.
Each school receives the $53,000, which is renewable for up to three
years, with the aim of raising student achievement through reforms
that are based on reliable research...
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Third Zuni Youth Conference will focus on teen problems
Dallas Moyer
Staff Writer
ZUNI — Under the dark clouds of youth violence and school shootings,
a ray of hope shines on the community of Zuni as it prepares for the
third annual Zuni Youth Conference.
The event will be June 14 and 15 at Zuni Middle School.
Vurlene Notsinneh-Bowekaty and Julie Jamon, coordinators for this
year's festivities, have planned several speakers and activities to
keep both children and parents occupied over the two-day event.
The conference will address the areas of alcohol, drugs, teen sexuality,
diabetes, gang violence, domestic violence, teen suicide, teen pregnancy,
youth leadership, peer pressure, conflict mediation, spirituality
and more...
| Top |
Zuni: Mine would harm sacred lake
ZUNI PUEBLO, N.M. (AP) — The Zuni Pueblo says the development
of a strip mine in western New Mexico will harm a sacred lake, but
an Arizona utility company says it will move ahead with plans to
produce coal there by the end of 2005.
Bob Barnard, mine project manager for the Arizona-based Salt River
Project, said the utility must find a new source of coal for its
Coronado Generating station in St. Johns, Ariz., before supplies
from the McKinley Mine near Gallup run out by 2005.
"We're looking at our coal supply running out and not having
any coal supply for our existing units," he said.
The utility, which has about 190,000 customers, mostly in Phoenix,
plans to dig about 80 million tons of coal from the 18,000-acre
Fence Lake Mine over the next 50 years...
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Downtown bank building for sale
Bill Donovan
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Gallup area residents will no longer have to wonder
what Bank of America plans to do with all of that unused space at
their west and east branches.
Bank officials announced this week that they will move out of their
main banking center in downtown Gallup into the west branch at the
end of business on August 31.
At that time, the main banking center will be up for sale.
Larry Rea, banking center manager, said the move was being made
because the main banking center is just too big for the bank's needs...
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Kenyan juggles way into record book
Carrie Loretto
Sports Editor
REHOBOTH — Joseph Odhiambo breaks records faster than the Guiness
Book of World Record headquarters can authenticate them.
Odhiambo, the unofficial world record holder for dribbling the most
basketballs at once, twice broke the record for making the most
layups while juggling three basketballs in a minute Friday morning
at Rehoboth High School.
Odhiambo made 31 layups in one minute to surpass Bob Nicholson's
ten-year-old mark. He broke the old record of 20 in about 40 seconds,
and added 11 more before time expired.
With the same confidence that he had informed Nicholson that he
would break the record, Odhiambo told the 40 campers and a handful
of parents and spectators on hand that he was going to break his
new mark...
Man without history finds his past
PHOENIX (AP) — A man committed to Arizona's state mental hospital
in 1998 for throwing stones at a police car spoke only gibberish,
a slurred mixture of Spanish and English.
Deep in schizophrenia, he could tell no one anything about himself.
But a social worker, Linda Pace, kept hearing a phrase: Piedras
Negras.
And because of that, Oscar De la Cruz, 28, was going home on Saturday
with his mother, Ester Esquada, who last heard from him when he
left home at 14 to cross the Mexican border into the United States
to look for work...
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Deaths
Vernadine B. Hanson
TOHATCHI — Services for Vernadine Hanson, 25, will be held at
10 a.m., Monday, June 11 at the Catholic Church, Tohatchi. Burial
will follow at Tohatchi Cemetery.
Hanson died June 8 in Albuquerque. She was born June 14, 1975 in Fort
Defiance, Ariz. into the Bear Clan for the Salt Clan.
Hanson was a resident of Tohatchi Special Education Center and Mara
Group Home.
Survivors include her parents, Leonard Hanson of Tohatchi and Shirley
Watchman of Mexican Springs and grandmother, Rose B. Hanson of Tohatchi.
Hanson was preceded in death by her brothers, Porter Rio Hanson and
Leonard Hanson Jr.
Pallbearers will be Wilson Johnson Sr., Jerry Hanson, Leonard Hanson
Sr. and Roger Begay.
The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services
at Rose Hanson's residence.
Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
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