Yvonne Walker Oliver

Yvonne Walker Oliver passed away on October 19, 2022, in La Luz, New Mexico. She was born October 22, 1936, in Rowell, NM.  Her parents were Bessie George and Albert Walker. From the time that she was very young, she lived in Sixteen Springs Canyon. The Walker family had settled in Sixteen Springs in 1887, and her mother’s family had settled in the Sacramento Mountains in the late 1800’s.

Yvonne rode the school bus from Sixteen Springs to Cloudcroft through the 10th grade.  Around that time her family moved to La Luz Canyon and Yvonne finished high school in Alamogordo. She began working as a nurse’s aide at Gerald Champion Hospital at 16 years old and dreamed of going to nursing school after graduation. But as fate would have it, she met the man of her dreams, GB Oliver Jr., from the White Sands Ranch in Alamogordo.  After a short courtship, they were married on August 20, 1954.  They were married for 49 years when GB passed away in 2003.

They lived on the White Sands Ranch and raised their family, until 1990 when they moved to La Luz Canyon. Yvonne had wonderful memories of living on the ranch, of driving 600 head of cattle to pasture over 6 days and nights, raising quarter horses, branding, working their meat business, and the quietude and beautiful sunsets there.

Yvonne enjoyed being a mother, cooking, sewing, gardening, and canning. Her family was central to her existence. She was the quintessential hostess, and entertained people from all walks of life that found their way to their ranch, from military Generals to wanderers. Yvonne was Otero County Probate judge for 8 ½ years. She was a member of Otero Cowbells, PEO chapter AO, Desert Hills Church of Christ, Sacramento Mountain Historical society, Tularosa Basin Historical society, and Otero County Republican party. Yvonne truly enjoyed people.  She enjoyed dancing, and until recently, rarely missed going to the dances with friends.

Yvonne is survived by her brother, Larry Walker of La Luz; her children, GB Oliver III (wife Theone), Audra Nichols ( Matt Lasiter), and John Oliver, all of La Luz; her grandchildren: GB Oliver IV (wife Jamie), Summer Oliver Boyd (husband Seth), Trenton Oliver, Caleb Nichols, John Nichols (wife Patty), Sam Nichols, Joe Nichols (wife Allyson), Kyan Tilton (husband Reese); great grandchildren: GB Oliver V, Nora and Charlotte Oliver, Emmie and Jinsen Boyd, Jack and Dean Nichols, Hunter, Liam, and Trace Tilton; as well as many nieces and nephews.

At Yvonne’s request, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Tularosa Basin or Sacramento Historical societies.

The memorial service for Yvonne Oliver will be held at 1:00 pm, Wednesday, November 16, 2022, at the Flickinger Center.

The Oliver family has entrusted their loved one to the care of Alamogordo Funeral Home to direct the services.

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