Ydahel A. Duran

Ydahel A. Duran, 91, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, passed away February 17, 2015 at his home. Visitation will be 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Sunday, February 22, 2015 at Denton-Wood Funeral Home. Funeral services are scheduled for Monday, February 23, 2015, 2:00 PM, at Denton-Wood Funeral Home Chapel with Israel M. Sanchez officiating. Interment will follow in Carlsbad Cemetery, Carlsbad, New Mexico. Denton-Wood Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Ydahel Alvarez Duran was born to Emetrio and Luz (Alvarez) Duran June 14, 1923 in Loving, NM. Unfortunately Ydahel's mother Luz died soon after he was born.Ydahel grew up in the Loving and Black River area. He was a jack of all trades in his adult years. Ydahel worked as a rancher, potash miner in Carlsbad, construction worker in Colorado where he also sold fruits, vegetables and blankets. He later worked as a car salesman in Zaragoza, Mexico. Ydahel loved the cowboy stories his father, Emetrio, told him about going off and running with the famous Billy the Kid and his gang. Emetrio was an avid horse back rider and taught Ydahel to ride and break horses and worked ranches in the surrounding foot hills and mountains. Ydahel was very familiar with the area of White City and the Carlsbad Caverns His father lived in a dugout three miles southeast of White City by the Elliotte's homestead ranch. Ydahel worked at the ranch with his father and sister. Ydahel was fascinated with his father's stories that included talk about buried treasure at the surrounding foothills of Guadalupe Canyon area. When Ydahel would visit his family here in Carlsbad he would ask his cousins to go with him in search of the treasures with his Geiger Counter. In recent years he still would take his daughter and cousins up and down the area he remembered his dad talking about. He often searched the areas and left no stone unturned. Ydahel liked to visit White City area as well as Washington Ranch. He always wanted to visit W.R. Cemetery, Rattle Snake Springs and the pear and apple orchard; then head on to the old Ballard and Alice family homesteads. Ydahel reminisced about living at Black River as a kid, near the May's place, and talked about the one room school house they all attended. Amazingly these old structures are still standing and he would give testimony of the history and never forgot to include stories about the treasurers his father always spoke about. Ydahel was strong willed and very determined to find the treasures some day. Though he never found the earthly treasures his dad talked of often; in recent years Ydahel did find his treasure, the almighty Jehovah and his precious son, Jesus Christ. His last wish was to be brought back to Carlsbad and be buried by his sister, Consuelo and his dad, Emetrio. Ydahel was preceded in death by his parents, wives Jaunita Rodriguez, Tana Guerra, Lupe Villegas, and Elisa Olivas Garcia, daughter Margie Duran, sons Tommy Duran, Eddie "Lalo" Duran and sister Consuela Duran. Survivors are his wife: Margarita Tafoya Duran; his daughters Dora Taylor of Alpine, CA, Rosa Duran of Las Cruces, NM, Rosemary V. Duran of Fresno, CA and son Richard Duran of AZ; numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren and two nieces. Condolences may be expressed at dentonwood.com