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EICKE -- Anita Ethelbah Eicke, age 75, of Santa Clara Pueblo, was called to her heavenly home on March 29, 2008, after many years of battling health problems. She was preceded in death by her husband, Darrell; son, Charles Robinson; mother, Josephine Naranjo Ethelbah; brother, Eugene C. Ethelbah; and step-daughter, Sally Burke. Anita is survived by her son, Robert Robinson, of Espanola; her father, Upton S. Ethelbah, of Albuquerque; her daughter, Laurie Jo Pierce; son-in-law, Tim; granddaughter, Rachel; and grandson, Ryan, all of White Rock; brother, Upton S. Ethelbah, Jr. and partner, Julie Garcia, of Albuquerque; nephews, Upton S. Ethelbah, III of Albuquerque, and Lucas Kwa-ay Ethelbah, and fiance, Glenda Quintana, of Santa Fe; nephews, Richard Weza, Jeff Weza, Adrian Ethelbah; and niece, Peggy Jo Ethelbah, all of Tacoma, Washington; step-daughters, Cyndi Moore and husband, Ken, of Albuquerque, Patience Davis of Lebanon, OR; and a total of eight step-grandchildren; and 11 step-great-grandchildren; and a large extended family and many, many friends. Anita was born at the Santa Fe Indian Hospital on March 11, 1933, of Santa Clara Pueblo and White Mountain Apache heritage. She lived at the Santa Fe Indian School where her parents were employed, attended Loretto Academy, and graduated from Santa Fe High School in 1951. During her lifetime, she received recognition for her many accomplishments. During her junior year in high school she was named as the first Santa Fe High Native American to attend New Mexico Girls State, and at the conclusion of that event, Anita was chosen as one of two representatives of New Mexico to attend Girls Nation, in Washington, DC. Her senior year, she was honored by being named the first Native American Indian Princess at the Santa Fe Fiesta. After the birth of her three children, she and her husband lived in Gallup where as a volunteer, she assisted in the administration of the Gallup Indian Ceremonial and became the first Native American woman to serve on the Board of Directors of that organization. Soon after her arrival in Gallup, she sought treatment for the mental illness of her two sons, and she soon realized that resources were very limited. She then expanded her advocacy for her boys to the advocacy for all mentally ill Indian people in the area. In 1987, she founded and presided over the McKinley County affiliate of NAMI, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. In the ensuing years, Anita spoke before local, state, and national organizations throughout the country, and after years of work, founded the Gallup Alliance for the Mentally Ill. She was a member of several other organizations, including the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Association, the McKinley County United Way Board, Gallup-Thoreau-Grants Mental Health Advisory Board, The Albuquerque Light Opera, Espanola Hospital Board of Directors, and from 1991 through 1999 Anita served on the Governor's Mental Health Council under Governors Bruce King and Gary Johnson. Anita had three passions: belief in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, entertaining her grandchildren Rachel and Ryan, and going fishing. During her last years, she could often be found fulfilling all three at the same time while at the crystal clear lakes and streams of northern New Mexico. Throughout her life, Anita was sustained by her devotion to the Lord and her belief in the teachings of the Bible. For many of her later years she suffered from failing health, forcing her to spend more and more time in various hospitals. But throughout her pain and suffering, she never stopped praying for others. It seemed that the worse her illness became, the stronger grew her faith. She even felt blessed two months ago when she was told that leukemia would end her life sooner than expected. Anita was truly a loving person who touched the lives of many people. She will be will be missed by us all. A Memorial Service celebrating the life of Anita Ethelbah Eicke will take place on April 14, 2008, at 10:30 a.m., at the Valley View United Methodist Church at 827 Spruce Street, in Espanola, NM. The Service will be followed by a reception at the church fellowship hall. Burial will take place following the reception at the Santa Fe National Cemetery at 1:30 p.m. Further information is available at the church office, 505-753-4115. Honorary Pall Bearers will be her father, Upton Ethelbah, brother, Upton Ethelbah Jr., son Robert M. Robinson, nephews, Upton Ethelbah III and Lucas K. Ethelbah, and son-in-law, Tim Pierce. The family is requesting that donations be made in Anita's name to the Santa Clara Pueblo Senior Citizen Center, and to the Valley View Methodist Church, where due to her exemplary and undying faith, the Anita Ethelbah Eicke Memorial Bible Fund will be named in her honor. Special thanks from the family are given to the medical staffs of the Santa Fe Indian Hospital, and the University of NM Hospital Cancer Center, and to Rev. Dennis Heffner, Valley View United Methodist Church of Espanola.
        Published on: Sun April 13, 2008