On life's trail, Conn left his mark

Veteran journalist Sam Conn, whose colorful prose and persona helped define his "cowboy reporter" image known by many, died Saturday in Silver City after a long illness. He was 47. "Sam passed away peacefully, with his long-time partner and friend Adrian Silva at his side," said Sherry Tippet, Conn's attorney and the executor of his estate. Conn's stories had an impact on community members and those he wrote about, especially his weekly feature, "On the Trail," which focused on the colorful people and places that make the region unique. "He inspired the heritage and preservation of the Old West and was a friend to all," said Tom Johnson of the Palace Hotel, who designed the "On the Trail" stickers for Conn's mobile reporting trailer. To those he worked with, Conn was remembered as a solid reporter with a passion for all things Western. Freelance photographer Kalen "Patch" Severe spent time traveling with Conn, shooting the photos for "On the Trail." "He called himself a simple cowboy but he was much more," Severe said. "He was the cowboy poet of old wrapped up Carhart jeans and a slightly musty smelling leather cowboy hat, hiding out in a nearly obscure corner of southwest New Mexico. He spun his stories with a passion that can only come from doing something you truly love. "Doing 'On the Trail' with Sam was always fun. We would go to what I thought were the most obscure places and Sam would pull the most amazing story out of it (he rarely ceased to amaze)...read more