Claudine Walls

Obituary Claudine Walls, 85, of Pecos River Drive, Carlsbad, NM graduated to her heavenly home on April 2, 2019. Visitation will be at Denton-Wood Funeral Home, 5:00 - 7:00 PM, Friday, April 5, 2019. Services will be held at Denton-Wood Funeral Home, 3:00 PM, Saturday, April 6, 2019 under the direction of Denton-Wood Funeral Home with a private family graveside following the service. Claudine was born November 26, 1933, in Loving, NM, to Claude Nelson Arrington and Mary Elizabeth (Neeley) Arrington. She with her younger sister, Ann grew up in Carlsbad, NM with much love and fun with family and school friends and First A/G church friends. Claudine first met Jim Walls at a church convention in Hobbs, NM in 1949 and she immediately told her friend that she was going to marry him. (Jim had no idea!) After a romantic courtship of letter writing and long-distance dating, they eloped on August 11,1950 and married in Plains, TX at ages 16 and 18. Claudine and Jim moved to San Diego, CA when he joined the Navy in 1951. Claudine sadly moved back to Carlsbad when Jim was deployed to Guam for a very long and lonely 20 months and joyously rejoined her love in San Diego when he returned. They returned back to Carlsbad in 1955 where Jim returned to work at IMC and they bought their first home on Sandia Street. Their children were born in Carlsbad...Debbie in 1956, Jimmy, Jr in 1959, and Darla in 1960 and Claudine evolved into her new favorite position - - a full-time mother and housewife. In 1961 Claudine and Jim moved to the main campus of NMSU in Las Cruces, NM so he could complete his degree. She faithfully cared for the children, hosted study sessions with snacks for Jim and classmates, and typed all of their engineering project papers late into the evenings. After Jim graduated in Mechanical Engineering in 1963, they moved back to Carlsbad where he returned to work at IMC and Claudine quickly became the favorite mom on the block as she provided lunches and snacks for the neighborhood kids playing in the yard. Claudine was shy and spotlights and big changes were not in her comfort zone but she faithfully supported Jim in his career advancement with moves to Odessa, TX and Snyder, TX. Jim took a position in 1972 and they were able to move back to Claudines beloved, Carlsbad, NM. Claudine served as a Missionette Leader at First A/G Church for many years and worked tirelessly stocking the new church kitchen. She restocked the kitchen, decorated the church at holidays, weekly laundered the church tablecloths, and prepared and served funeral meals for First A/G church families for decades. Her volunteer hours at the church were never a drudgery to her because of her hard working and fun, crazy church friends. Claudine loved to have fun and she and her friends entertained many with their adventures, stories, and giggles. She was a meticulous housekeeper and wonderful cook and through the years created priceless memories by hosting many beautiful events in her home. Claudine went back to work when their children started college. She worked at Carlsbad National Bank as an Assistant Vice President for 15 years. She then retired and returned to her favorite position of being Jims wife and a mother but that job now came with new perks - - being Nana to grand babies and later great grand babies! Oh, how Claudine and Jim loved their babies! Their greatest legacy and passion was their love for God and their family and their greatest joy was playing and spending time with their babies! Claudine and Jim loved spending time at their beloved cabin in the mountains and even lived there while their new retirement home was being built. As her Jim faced serious health challenges, Claudine tirelessly cared for the love of her life and was heartbroken when he passed in 2018. Claudine worked hard to continue on but as her health was failing, looked forward to being reunited with Jim. The love they shared was inspiring and precious. Ever the romantic, just minutes before Claudine took her last breath, she had her daughter apply lotion and lip gloss...she wanted to be dolled up when she peacefully joined her sweetheart, Jim. She is preceded in death by her husband, Jim Walls; parents, Claude and Mary Arrington; mother and father-in-law, Raymond and Phyllis Walls; sisters-in-law, Joyce Williams, Rose Russell, and Barbara Walls; brothers-in-law Sammy Clark and Smythe Walls; and baby daughter in 1957. She is survived by 3 children: her daughter, Debbie Dugas and husband, Brad of Canyon Lake, TX; son, Jimmy Walls, Jr of Sacramento, NM; and daughter, Darla Walls of Dripping Springs, TX; 6 grandchildren: Aimee VanOmmeren and husband, Jon of Canyon Lake, TX; Tiffany Stephens and husband, Jay of Papillion, NE; Whitney Davidson and husband, Brett of New Braunfels, TX; Jeremy Dugas and wife, Emery of Boerne, TX; Chace Walls and wife, Tara of Carlsbad, NM; Chris Walls and wife, Saren of Carlsbad, NM; and honorary Chelsea Nolen of Carlsbad, NM; and 18 great grandchildren: Maeryn, Noelle, and Calvin VanOmmeren of Canyon Lake, TX; Kaylee, Jack, Tessa, and Allie Stephens of Papillion, NE; Halle, Haven, Hazel, Aidah, Evie, and Ellie Davidson of New Braunfels, TX; Jae Lyn Dugas of Boerne, TX; Addison Walls of Carlsbad, NM; and Nathan, Lucas, and Penelope Walls of Carlsbad, NM. She is also survived by one sister, Ann Clark of Carlsbad, NM; aunt, Dorothy Titus of Carlsbad, NM; sister-in-law Jodie Sconce and husband, Ebb of Aldrich, MO; brother-in-law, Doyle Walls and wife, Sue all of Siloam Springs, AR; and numerous nieces and nephews and cousins. Charitable donations may be made to: Carlsbad Foundation, 114 S. Canyon, Carlsbad NM 88220 or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105, tel: 1-800-805-5856, web: http://www.stjude.org/ To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Claudine Walls, please visit our floral store.