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Mary Stella Daley Bledsoe. After a lifetime in the Catholic Church and bringing her children and husband into the faith, she passed away January 18 2010 at the age of 88. Mary was born October 15, 1921 in Carrizozo, New Mexico to father, Santiago Romero DALEY, mother, May Guadalupe NORMAN. She was raised in Cubero and Grants, New Mexico where her parents were teachers. Mary was elected "Homecoming Queen" of the Grants Union High School in 1937. 1946-47 Mary was the first female Town Clerk for the town of Grants. Then along came an air traffic controller to the Acomita CAA Station. After a brief courtship Mary and Bill Bledsoe were married November 13, 1948. They were transferred to the Panama, Canal Zone. Mary was employed as a clerk-stenographer with the U.S Army Caribbean Headquarters. Two years later they were transferred to Albuquerque where they lived for 34 years and raised their family. During the 34 years in Albuquerque, Mary was employed as an accountant with the New Mexico State Bureau of Revenue, as an office administrator with the New Mexico Employment Security Commission, and accountant for St. Pius X High School where she retired in 1976. In 1964 Mary entered the primary campaign for the office of Bernalillo County Clerk. Although she did not win the election, she was endorsed by both the Albuquerque Journal and the Albuquerque Tribune. Upon retirement, Mary and Bill hit the road in their RV, visiting most of the states west of the Mississippi. A couple of cruises, 12 days in the Caribbean that included passage through the Panama Canal and a train trip across the Isthmus; another was a cruise down the Mexican Riviera. The move to Fort Collins, Colorado in 1985 was to follow their children. This gave them the freedom to "winter" in Arizona, five in Mesa and five in Tucson which fulfilled their hobby of bird watching. The highlight of retirement has been two trips to Spain to retrace Mary's Spanish ancestors. They made a pilgrimage to the birthplace of Mary's patron saint St. Teresa of Avila. The first was a three week tour by rental auto of 1300 miles. The second trip was to the Costa del Sol with side trips to Granada, Seville and Gibraltar. Mary was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Anna Mae Starr; and brother, William O. (Billy) Daley. Survivors include her husband of 61 years, Bill Bledsoe; her daughter, Mary Cyril Bledsoe of Knoxville, TN (formerly of Cheyenne, WY); sons, Eugene Daley of Smyrna, TN; Ken (Phyllis) Bledsoe of Fort Collins, and Will Bledsoe of Louisville; Jana Bledsoe of Boulder; granddaughters, Erin Bledsoe, Tayler Bledsoe, Annette Gray, and Marla Donour; grandson, Geno Daley; and her brother, James Norman Daley of Fortuna, CA. A funeral mass was held on Saturday, January 23, 2010, at Blessed John XXIII, Fort Collins, Colorado. A spring internment is planned for Santa Fe National Cemetery. Donations can be made in Mary's memory to St. Teresa Catholic School, 400 E High, Grants, NM 87020. Please go to www.goesfuneralcare.com to sign Mary's guestbook and express your thoughts and memories.
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