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John James Ross, Jr., 90, died on Tuesday, March 23, 2004 after a brief illness. John was born into a Northern New Mexico mining family to Davida Lee and John James Ross, Sr., on July 22, 1913 in Colfax County in the now defunct town of Koehler, New Mexico. Throughout a long and adventuresome life, John cherished time with family and friends and his very active involvement in community service organizations and an international travel RV club. John, who graduated from Raton High School in 1933, lived for many years in Sugarite, New Mexico, where his parents ran a boarding house and John's father managed the mule barn and was a mine boss in the St. Louis and Rocky Mountain Coal Company in Raton, New Mexico. In the early days, the miners used mules to help them haul coal out of the mines. Although John's father was adamantly opposed to his son going to work in the mines, John's first job out of high school was as a coal miner in the same mines where his father worked. Even John's maternal grandfather, "Papa" Wallace was a coal miner in Scotland where the miners would drag bags of coal behind them for the kids to follow behind and place coal in the bags. Eventually, after his father was injured on the job, he and his mother's father acquired the Brown Ranch-a homestead ranch-adjoining the Moore Ranch, which belonged to the family of John's sister, Mary Margaret. For many years, John helped out Mary Margaret on her family's ranch. After his stint as a ranch hand, John held many positions in the Raton area. He was stocker, clerk, and meat cutter in the K&S Food Store; drove a bus for the Greyhound Bus Company; served as assistant fire chief for the City of Raton; and was a liquor salesman for Raton Distributors. For a time, John even owned a pool hall in Raton called the Sports Club. John later moved his family to Los Alamos where he managed a liquor store. He and his wife, Lucy moved to Albuquerque in 1957, where he went to work for Raton Wholesale Distributors as a salesman responsible for the Albuquerque and Northern New Mexico area. John worked for Southwest Distributors as a salesman for the next 25 years, where his territory included Albuquerque and the Northeastern New Mexico area. Even after John "officially" retired, he worked security for a variety of businesses and venues because he loved working with people so much. Since 1941, John was a member of the Elks, BPOE Lodge 865 in Raton. He was a 39 year member of the Loyal Order of the Moose. For the past 25 years, John was a very active member of the Zia Roamers Chapter of the New Mexico Good Sam Club. Eleven of these years, John served as Assistant State Director or Executive Assistant State Director of the Good Sam's and was often involved in organizing State Samborees for the club. John was among the first members of the Good Sam's to receive the "Golden Halo Award." John is survived by his wife, Paula; his son, Larry and wife, Mildred; stepson, Stephen Stronach and wife, Dorothy; stepdaughter, Tonimarie Dudley and husband, Jim; stepdaughter, Gwen Amm; sister, Shirley Tomsick; several grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. John was predeceased by his parents, John and Davida Ross; his first wife, Lucy; and three sisters, Mary Margaret Moore, Frances Catherine Towndrow, and Sara Murray. Final arrangements are pending; Riverside Cremations and Burials, 225 San Mateo, NE is in charge of arrangements. 764-9663.
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