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Ellen"Tommye" White Vaughan passed away March 15, 1999 at the age of 97. She was born September 21, 1901 in Portals, New Mexico Territory. In 1975 she was named in the Hall of Fame of Educators in New Mexico for over 50 years of dedicated educational service. Ellen began her teaching career in 1920 at a small ranching community, between Ft. Sumner and Roswell, riding horseback to and from school. Her next job took her to Fierro near Silver city and the copper mines, where she taught 3rd, 4th and 5th grades and had 72 students in her classroom. Ellen contracted typhoid fever in 1926 and was taken home to Ft. Sumner where she spent the next two years learning to walk again. While recuperating she met and married Mark E. Vaughan, also of Ft. Sumner. In 1939, she went back to teaching and in 1941 was elected De Baca County School Superintendent. Ellen was widowed during WWII when her husband was killed in a shipyard accident in California. In 1944, she then packed up her family of two young girls and her parents, and moved to Santa Fe. From 1944 until 1957 Ellen worked for the State Department of Education as Director of Certification, Teacher Education, and Placement. During those years she received her Bachelor's Degree in Education and served on the National Teacher Education and Professional Standards Committee. In 1957, Ellen moved to Farmington to teach, but after only one year was awarded a scholarship to finish her Master's Degree at New Mexico State University. In 1959, she accepted a teaching position in the Gallup School system where she taught until retirement in 1972. Ellen moved back to Farmington as she loved the climate and beautiful landscape. She was an avid reader, loved the outdoors, flowers, and oil painting. Ellen was a lifelong member of Delta Kappa Gamma. She will be dearly missed. Ellen is survived by her daughter, Marka Riley of Farmington; three granddaughters, Kathrine Moore and husband, Jeff of Marshalltown, IA, Kathleen McClain and husband, Jim of Ramsey, England, Marka Ryan of Farmington; and three great-grandchildren. Services will be held March 24, 1999 at the Chavez Funeral Home Chapel in Fort Sumner, NM. Local arrangements are under the direction of Cope Memorial Chapel in Farmington, 327-5142.
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