Charlta Arletta Hawkins

Charlta Arletta Coleman was born in Gulfport, Mississippi July 18, 1926 to Bob and Arletta Coleman. Her parents moved to New Mexico a few years later arriving in Hot Springs, NM (now Truth or Consequences) where they bought the Sierra County Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Sierra County. Soon after her father, Robert, died and her mother, Arletta, continued to own and run the newspaper while raising Charlta and her brother, Robert. She attended school and graduated from Hot Springs High School. While in Hot Springs, she met William A. (Bill Humphries) who grew up there. Bill left school and joined the Navy during WWII. Charlta and Bill married shortly before he shipped out to the Philippines. After the war ended Bill returned to Hot Springs and they had two children: son, William R., and a daughter who died shortly after birth. Bill went to work for the New Mexico Game Department, and they soon moved to Capitan then to Las Cruces and eventually to Albuquerque. Charlta worked at a number of jobs including the Las Cruces High School, Scientific Data Systems and finally Xerox. Bill Senior died unexpectedly in 1973 while they lived in Santa Fe and soon Xerox promoted her to a sales representative and she transferred to Farmington. Her son, Bill Humphries and his wife, Carol and their two daughters, Heidi and Cheryl lived on their ranch near Lindrith, NM. Charlta often visited them and her granddaughters were a special light in her life.

After some time, Charlta met and married Ray Hawkins. Charlta retired from Xerox and moved to Arlington, Virginia where Ray was a Vice President for Norfolk-Southern Railroad. Charlta really enjoyed her time in the Washington, DC area and volunteered her time as a Docent at the Custis-Lee Mansion near Arlington Cemetery. She loved having her granddaughters, Heidi and Cheryl, come and visit and tour the area and our nation's capital. After Ray retired they moved back to Albuquerque and both volunteered their time and talent to their church, community and a few political campaigns. She loved and was active in PEO. After Ray died she continued living in Albuquerque for a number of years until her health required her to move to Tucumcari, where her family was. She again enjoyed her family and the residents at the assisted living facility where she lived. She enjoyed many visits to the ranch and granddaughters homes. By this time she had two great grandsons, Kyle and Jason Knight, sons of Cheryl and Justin Knight. Charlta was able to attend and cheer for her great grandsons at basketball and football games in Logan. She always was proud of her family and loved every moment of being with them. When the assisted living facility in Tucumcari closed she moved to another in Logan and was living there when she had her 97th birthday shortly before she died August 27, 2023.

Charlta was always positive and happy. She was truly one of America’s Greatest Generation. She lived through the Great Depression, WWII, the Korean War and subsequent wars. She experienced the loss of her parents, brother (shortly after WWII), the drought of the 1950s, the loss of a daughter and two husbands but never quit being a great mother, grandmother, great grandmother, friend and community member. She was a blessing and light to all who knew her. We are all better and the world is a better place because of her.

Charlta is survived by her son, grandchildren, great grandsons, and a number of other family members and great friends who loved and adored her.