Audrey M. (Lermusiaux) Talkington Halama Lietzow

Audrey was born February 2, 1925 to Emil and Domitilda Lermusiaux. She passed away June 28, 2018.  Audrey’s dad, Emil Lermusiaux, died when she was three years of age.  For many years, she made her home with her paternal great grandmother, Rose Dupire Lermusiaux, and paternal great uncle and aunt, Christopher and Phoebe Fitzgerald, Corrales, New Mexico.  Except for WWII years when she was married to Kenneth Talkington, she lived in New Mexico.  During the war years, she lived in Casper, Wyoming, Lincoln, Nebraska, and Topeka, Kansas.  Audrey retired from Albuquerque Public Schools in 1990.  She also worked for TWA, VA and Quinn and Co.  She earned a BA and MA from UNM.

Mom’s first husband Kenneth Talkington, an Air Force plot, died 12/20/44 in the European Theater of the War. As a young single mother, following Kenneth’s death, she met Lars Halama, remarried and later divorced.  Lars died September 16, 2003. After her marriage to Lars, Mom married Clyde Lietzow. Clyde died on May 2, 1991. Her brother Albert Robert Lermusiaux and mother Domitilda Martinez Lermusiaux Chavez predeceased her, too.

Mom considered herself a “WWII person.” All of her husbands were in the military. Kenneth and Clyde were both Air Force pilots and Lars was a Navy LCI officer. Each December she remembered a scary week: 12/7/41 (Pearl Harbor), 12/8/41 (U.S. declared war on Japan) and 12/11/41 (Germany and Italy declared water on the U.S.).  She remembered the men who also served in the New Mexico National Guard who were captured on Bataan and were in the Bataan Death March.

Audrey served the community of Albuquerque in a number of ways.  She served on various boards and organizations including National Conference of Christians and Jews board, New Mexico Rehabilitation Center Auxiliary president, New Mexico Rehabilitation Center board, Board of Las Lunas Hospital and Training School chairman and League of Women Voters.  Her concern for children was a great focus, mainly those with special needs.

She was a conservative Republican, although she did admit that on a couple of occasions over her lifetime, she had voted for a Democrat, if it was someone she knew and felt was more qualified for the office, but she was quick to say it didn’t happen often.

Her great source of joy was the Lord Jesus Christ and His church.

Audrey is survived by four children:  Ken (Talkington) Halama (wife, Gloria) of Santa Fe, NM; Lisa (Halama) Abel Rutherford of Ivins, UT (partner, Paul Van Dam); Steve Halama (wife, Lindalie) of Albuquerque, NM; Stephanie (Halama) Thomas (husband, David) of Albuquerque, NM; eight grandchildren:  Jennifer (Abel) Esparza (husband, Ted) of Albuquerque, NM; Omar Halama (wife, Laura) of Rio Rancho, NM ; Kenda (Halama) Montoya (husband, Ricardo) of Santa Fe, NM; Kathryn (Halama) Anderson (husband, Charlie) of Albuquerque, NM; Christopher Halama (wife, Katie) of Albuquerque, NM ; Carl Halama of Albuquerque, NM; Spencer Thomas and Kinsey Thomas both of Albuquerque, NM and great-grandchildren: Brooke, Brandon and Cady Halama of Rio Rancho, NM; Ellie, Claire and Evangelina Anderson of Albuquerque, NM and Sutton and Cooper Halama of Albuquerque, NM.

Also surviving Mom are daughters and a son of Domitilda Lermusiaux Chavez, Loretta Chavez Romero and John Chavez of Santa Fe, NM and Mildred Chavez Fernandez of Las Vegas, NV.

Memorial service will be held Friday, July 6, 2018, 4:00 p.m. at Christ the King Anglican Church, 529 Jefferson, NE Albuquerque, NM 87108/ In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Christ the Kind Anglican Church; www.ctkabq.org or a charity of your choice.