In Memoriam

Mark Anthony Runyan, House, passed away on May 9, 2022. Mark was born in Tucumcari on October 17, 1958 to Bruce and Mayme Runyan of House. He was raised in Quay County and graduated from House High school in 1976. He attended NMSU obtaining a degree and Agriculture Education. Mark married the love of his life, Lisa, on March 23 1984.

Mark’s impact as an educator began in 1982 as the Lea County 4-H Agent in Lovington. In 1984 Mark and Lisa moved to Artesia, where he was the Agriculture Instructor for 10 years. Mark and his family moved to House in 1994 and began Runyan Cattle. Mark also completed a Master’s degree from NMSU in Education Administration and served as the Director of The Learning Center at House schools through 2003. Mark then served as the New Mexico FFA Association Assistant State Advisor before returning to the Agriculture Instructor role at Clovis High School. Mark officially retired from a distinguished career in education in 2015, diverting his attention to Runyan Cattle, Runyan Cattle Meats, and his grandchildren who affectionately called him Pop.

Mark was intensely involved in advising and teaching young people about livestock and life and was highly regarded as a knowledgeable livestock friend to many. With a personality and heart as big as Mark’s, he could easily find bliss anywhere and doing just about anything under the sun. Aside from his family and close friends, Mark’s biggest joy in life was being an educator and advisor. Whenever he wasn’t in a classroom, judging contest, livestock show, or traveling with students to either of the latter, Mark enjoyed spending time at home checking cows and playing with grandkids, working with his family, or simultaneously starting his next three building projects out at the barn. Mark’s love for life was contagious to everyone around him.

Hero, father figure, and mentor, the positive impact Mr. Runyan made on young

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people that he encountered was instrumental in the adults they are today. Be it preparing cattle for show, instructing in welding or ag. classes, or prep for judging contests, young people were drawn to Mark Runyan, many young people have attributed their successful careers to the life skills lived and taught by Mr. Runyan

Mark was an active board member at the House Cooperative Assn, past president of the NM Agriculture Teacher’s Association, he started the Artesia FFA Partners and Clovis FFA Buyers Clubs, and was actively involved with the Southwest Quay Soil and Water Conservation district. Mark was a member of the House Baptist church and was baptized in 1969.

Mark is survived by his wife Lisa Runyan, House; his eldest son Chase Runyan and wife Morgan and children Caesan, Beckham, Hayes, and Lincoln, Bronte, Texas; middle son Jason Runyan and wife Ashley and children Brooke and Riggs, Leonard, Texas; his youngest son Tell Runyan and wife Cheyenne and children Kinsley and Vance, Stephenville, Texas; his mother, Mayme Runyan, Clovis; his brother Bill Runyan and wife Denise, House; his sister Marsha Stowe and husband Terry, House; his brother Bryan Runyan and wife Linda, Silver City; and countless cousins, nieces, and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the NM Baptist Children’s Home, 2200 S. Avenue I, Portales NM 88130. If you wish to share a tribute with Mark’s family or sign the online guestbook, go to www.chavezfuneralhome.com

Jim Tyson Dunlap, a rancher and farmer in San Juan County, passed peacefully on May 10,2022, in Farmington. He was born on 0ctober 7, 1932 in Fort Sumner, the fifth child of six to William 0. Dunlap Jr. and Pearl (Derrick) Dunlap. The family lived at Dunlap for the first few years of his life, then moved to the Derrick ranch east of Tatum. Jim lived the rest of his childhood at the ranch, and he graduated from Tatum High School in 1950. After his graduation he went to New Mexico State University where he studied Vocational Agriculture Education.

Jim married Anilee Sabin on June 7, 1952, and they lived their first years of married life in Las Cruces while they continued with college. They were blessed with four children, Larry, Kari Lynn, Cheryl, and Darryl. They were later divorced.

Jim received his bachelor’s degree in Vocational Agriculture Education from New Mexico State University in 1954 and his Master’s Degree in 1967. Jim accepted his first job as a Vocational Agriculture teacher

and girls’ basketball coach in Dora in 1954. He taught there for two years before moving to Farmington High School to take the Vo Ag teacher’s position. In 1960 he moved to Kirtland High School as the Vo Ag teacher and remained there until 1976.

Raising polled Hereford cattle brought Jim much joy, and he continued the tradition started by his father for many, many years.

Jim especially enjoyed taking his FFA boys camping and fishing in the Mountains (usually on horseback), taking them to State and National competitions and teaching them Parliamentary Procedure. During this time Jim and his fellow teachers developed the Junior Firefighters Program at school and began to grow their volunteer fire department. Each year FFA students developed a community service project. One year they were particularly ambitious and wanted to organize a domestic water system and improve the volunteer fire department. The students and their fathers were successful in organizing Lower Valley Water Association. Jim served as the President from 1966 to 1976, which also meant managing the system. By this time, the water system had grown tremendously, and a manager was needed. Jim was offered the position and resigned from teaching. He worked there until 1986 when he decided he needed to devote more of his time to the John Deere Dealership, which he owned with his son, Larry, from 1984 until it closed in 2014. Jim also built the Kirtland Dairy Queen in 1986 and owned it until 1994.

Jim married Sally (Johnson) Welles on October 26, 1985. Sally passed away October 23, 1992.

On July 4, 1993, Jim met Christine (Eggen) McEvers. They were married November 13, 1993. There began another lifetime of memories in those nearly 29 years.

Jim devoted his life to many public service projects and was passionate about all of them. He was a founding member of Lower Valley Water Users, founding member of New Mexico Rural Water Association and New Mexico’s Director for National Rural Water Association, of which he was President from 1996 to 1998. He was a board member for Colorado River Water Users Association, founding member of San Juan Water Commission, and founding member of San Juan Communications Center. In addition, he served on the San Juan County Commission for three terms, San Juan County Fair Board, Valley Fire Department for 33 years, Lower Valley Lions Club, New Mexico State Fair Commission, New Mexico Acequia Commission, New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission. He served on these boards for many years and served in many capacities, including Chairman of the NM Interstate Stream Commission from 2003 to 2016.

A few of his most meaningful involvements included improving ambulance and EMS services, McGee Park development and building of the racetrack, San Juan Regional Hospital, improvement and/or building of many roads and bridges in the county, as well as the “road to nowhere”, but that’s a story for another day. While he was affiliated with the NM Interstate Stream Commission, he was very proud they were able to accomplish the Pecos Water Settlement, Navajo Water Rights settlement, first State Water Plan, Eastern NM Water Supply System and Middle Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Protection. He was passionate about the Arizona Water Rights Settlement, and he was disappointed that it was not accomplished.

After a few early lobbying trips to Washington, DC, Jim knew that history would be so much more interesting and real to stu-

dents if they could see the history in DC. He and Sally began to take grandchildren along on their annual spring trip. Jim and Chris continued that tradition with as many as they could. His ranching background made him want all of his grandchildren and great grandchildren to experience this lifestyle which included always saddling up the horses and letting them ride. These are some of the many treasured memories that these grands experienced.

His most lengthy involvement was with the controversial Animas LaPlata Project. He began to lobby for congressional approval in 1966, along with many other people from Colorado and New Mexico, and was able to see the final version built and filled with water on June 29, 2011. When the first release of water to New Mexico occurred, Jim was at the Controls At the time of his death, he served on the Upper LaPlata Water Users Association, Animas LaPlata Operating Committee, San Juan Water Commission, Director Emeritus of New Mexico Rural Water Association and Trinity Lutheran Church Council. Jim was raised as a Methodist and joined Trinity Lutheran Church in Farmington when he and Christine married. He served on many committees at Trinity.

Jim is survived by his loving wife, Christine, son, Larry (Linda), daughter, Cheryl, son Darryl (Julia), bonus sons John (Melissa) Phillips, Stan (Joni Lynn) Phillips, bonus daughters, Carrie McWilliams, Rachel (Lonny) Ellis, Sara McEvers, 24 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sisters, Evolyn Terpening and Carolyn (Larry) Bedford as well as many nieces and nephews, countless former students, Fire and EMS volunteers, and his Rural Water Family.

To honor Jim’s commitment to education and volunteerism, a scholarship fund is being planned to provide tuition assistance for new and continuing first responder training. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to this effort or a charity of your choice.

A celebration of Jim’s life will be held Saturday, June 11 at 3 :00 p.m. at McGee Park Convention Center #41 County Road 5568 Farmington, NM 87401, with Pastor Larry Davis of Trinity Lutheran Church officiating.

James W. Catron Jr., 73, Baldwin City, Kansas, passed away January 23, 2022 at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence. He was born December 18, 1948 in Hobbs, the son of James W. and Jimmy Ruth (Dobins) Catron. He earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He later earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of New Mexico.

James was a County Attorney with the 7th Judicial District in Truth or Consequences, NM. He retired in 2008 and moved to Lebanon, Oklahoma to run the family ranch. In 2014, he moved to Baldwin City, where he had lived since.

He served our country as a Sergeant in the Army/Air Force during the Vietnam War.

He was a member of the Ancient Free & Accepted Masons while living in New Mexico and also a Shriner in New Mexico and Sons of Confederate Veterans Member. Surviving family includes two sons, Joseph Catron, Baldwin City; and James R. Catron, Nacogdoches, Texas; a daughter, Lisa Erbes, Burnsville, Minnesota; two sisters, Barbara Catron, Enis, Oklahoma and Nila Catron, Texas; and eight grandchildren.

Editor’s Note: Email caren@aaalivestock.com. Memorial donations may be sent to the Cattlegrowers’ Foundation, a 501(c)3, tax deductable charitable foundation serving the rights of ranch families and educating citizens on governmental actions, policies and practices. Cattlegrowers Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 7517, Albuquerque, NM 87194. The New Mexico Stockman runs memorials as a courtesy to its readers. If families & friends would like to see more detail, verbatim pieces must be emailed to us, & may be printed at 10¢ per word. ▫