Lacy Shelton

Lacy Shelton was born in Glenwood, New Mexico May 30, 1933. His mother was Louise Lathrop Shelton and his father was Thomas F. Shelton. He had three older brothers and one sister. They were Jim, Tommy, Charles Kelly and Dorothy. He grew up happy and free with Holt Mountain and the Frisco River as two of his favorite playgrounds.

Lacy started first grade in a one room schoolhouse in Pleasonton, NM. He attended grade school in Pleasanton, Glenwood and Cliff, NM; Miami, AZ; and Cananea, Mexico. He attended high school in Reserve, NM. He was left-handed and he liked playing baseball. He played on his high school basketball team and was cast in many of the plays that the school presented. While he was in high school he dated a girl whose grandfather talked to him about the Mormon Church and he became interested. He later joined and was a faithful Latter-day Saint his entire life.

Lacy's family looked forward to hunting season even more than Christmas. All of his brothers and some of his uncles and friends would come to Glenwood to hunt with them. From the time Lacy was fourteen years old, he was always successful in getting his deer. After he was an adult, his hunting buddies were his son Steve, Buzz Staley, Gary Hatch, and some of their sons. Also in later life, Lacy joined some other friends in almost building their own boat and going to Cholla Bay in Mexico to fish several times a year.

Lacy was drafted into the Army in February 1953. He completed basic training at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, TX, before being sent to Korea. He came home from Korea in 1955. He went to Reserve, NM to a dance and became reacquainted with a girl named Lavonne Thompson. They were married June 20, 1957. They lived first in Silver City, NM while Lacy worked at Kennecott Copper and graduated from college. He then taught in Whiteriver, AZ for two years before moving to Snowflake, AZ where he has lived for the last 58 years. Lacy taught math for 35 years at the Snowflake Junior High School. He loved teaching and coaching basketball.

He worked for the Forest Service in the summertime. He went on fires in all of the western Untied States and Alaska.

His and Lavonne's children are Dawn, Kevin, Steve, Katherine, and Kristen. He also has nine grandchildren.

He was a kind, good man with a sense of humor and an optimistic outlook on life. Lacy passed away on November 8, 2020 at his daughter and son-in-law's home in Queen Creek, AZ. He was 87 years old. He was surrounded by family members who love him and look forward to a joyful reunion with him someday.

A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, November 14, 2020 at 10:00 AM at the Main Street Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 48 N. Main St., in Snowflake, Arizona with a viewing one hour prior. Interment will take place in Luna, New Mexico.