JAMES SAMUEL CURETON

December 5, 1920 - October 18, 2008

Jim Cureton was born in Lordsburg, New Mexico to George H. and Edith S. Cureton. He was a third generation cattle rancher in southwestern New Mexico on land homesteaded by his grandfather, James W. Cureton. He attended Lordsburg Public Schools and played on the Lordsburg High School basketball team that won the 1939 New Mexico State Basketball Championship. He received a bachelor of science degree from New Mexico State University in animal science. He was in ROTC and served in the armed services during WWII. He married Nan Elton and was widowed in 1948.

Jim was an active member of the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau and the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association. He was an employee of the New Mexico Public Health Department for 15 years. In 1951, Jim married Jane L. (Turner) Hart, who had a daughter, Mary Edith. He and Jane had two children, J. Samuel (Sam) Cureton, Jr. and J. Alice Bundrant. He is survived by his wife, children, brother, Robert H. Cureton (Helen) and sister, Dorothy (George H.) Jackson. He has seven grandchildren: Eda Jane Egashira, James Canniff, Chance Cureton, Erin Meng (Tyler), Paige Cureton, Brittany Bundrant, Logan Bundrant and five great grandchildren: Saundra, Tyler, Anthony and Robert Egashira and Ethan Ross Meng

He had been living in Bainbridge Island, Washington near his two daughters for the past year. He was a prior member of the Lordsburg First Baptist Church and a member and deacon of the Silver City First Baptist Church.

Funeral services will be held at the Silver City First Baptist Church on Tuesday, October 28 at 2:00 p.m. followed by burial at the Masonic Cemetery in Silver City. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the New Mexico Boys’ or Girls’ Ranch. Their address is:
The Ranches
6209 Hendrix Rd NE 2FL
Albuquerque, NM 87110
or donations can be made on-line at www.theranches.org