Goldie Buckner

Goldie Buckner, age 97, peacefully returned to our Father Saturday 27, 2024, at Fairwinds Rio Rancho.

Goldie was born March 1, 1927, in Ayrshire, IA, the 11th of 12 children. She was born with light colored hair in contrast to the dark hair of the first ten children of their family, thus she received her name Goldie. Her farming parents were John and Ada Rouse who was also a school teacher. She was cherished by her family who will miss her, but know she is 'finally free". Goldie's dedications to her religious convictions were an inspiration to all she met.

Goldie was a self-taught piano player who could hear a song and then play it back. Years later, she learned how to play by reading music and she often played the piano at church services and special occasions before attending college.

She graduated High School as valedictorian, and then attended Iowa State College (now University of Iowa) in Ames, Iowa and received a BS in Household Equipment of Home Economics, 1948.

After graduating college, she one of fifteen women in the United States to receive the Danforth Graduate Fellowship at UNM in Albuquerque aiding religious programs of all faiths. During a visit to Hope, NM she met Claberon C. "Buck" Buckner, Sr., who had been a prisoner-of-war of the Japanese for three and a half years in World War II and survived the infamous Bataan Death March. He was a member of the 200th Battalion, New Mexico National Guard. He was left with a severely damaged heart which was repaired by surgery replacing two heart valves (early bird cage design) at Mayo Clinic in 1963. He was one of the first 20 to receive two heart valves. They married on July 16, 1949.

Buck had a daughter, Suzy, from a previous marriage. Buck and Goldie had three sons, Claberon Jr (Buckie) who was retarded at birth and made a ward of the state in 1956 and subsequently died 2017. Other sons still living are Ronald and William (Bill).

Buck had a State Farm Insurance agency in Roswell, New Mexico that in later years Goldie often had to run due to Buck's health issues. She held the 3rd solicitor license in New Mexico. With Goldie's often "filling-in" for Buck, the agency became a top State Farm Insurance Agency, once fifth in the nation for auto insurance sales.

Goldie utilized her degree, giving cooking schools all around southeastern area of the state and was the first home service advisor in New Mexico. She did a TV series for Clardy's Dairy on use of dairy foods, and she organized the first home service department in New Mexico while working for the Southwestern Public Service electric utility. She was also hired as Supervisor, 1970 Census Bureau for Southeast New Mexico.

In 1972 Buck died and Goldie then married Dr. Frederick Brown, General Practitioner, formerly of Roswell, and living in Littleton, CO. They later moved to Albuquerque and he was a Civilian Physician, Kirtland AFB. He died in 1978. She remained living in Albuquerque.

Goldie was a member of PEO Sisterhood for 63 years. She became the Centennial Chairman, New Mexico State Chapter, PEO 1965-67. She made lifelong friends of all ages during her tenure.

While her children were still young, she helped start the Association for Retarded Children of New Mexico and served in various offices, including President of the Association. Goldie gave multiple talks on the subject along with doing other volunteer work. She was as appointed by the New Mexico Governor as the New Mexico delegate for the 1960 White House Conference on Children and Youth and served as a member on the New Mexico Governor's Committee on Children and Youth, 1960-62.

Some of her awards were: Outstanding Woman of NM 1964; YMCA Woman on the Move; Citizen of the Year, Roswell; College Merit Award; Jane Adams Centennial Award; Delegate, 1960 White House Conference on Children and Youth; and Seroma International Award for Service of Mankind. She gave a speech before the 1961 New Mexico Legislation body to obtain funding of the New Mexico School for Retarded Children in Los Lunas, New Mexico.

Goldie was an avid speed reader (800-1000 words a minute) and would read one to two books a week her entire life. Goldie loved to do research and helped do the research for one of the many history books about New Mexico written by Dr. Harwood P. Hinton, assistant Professor of History at the University of Arizona, Tucson.

She was also a writer and had several books published, including a genealogy on her paternal ancestors that took multiple years to research and then was published in 1964, entitled "The Alexander Rouse Family 1829-1964"

Other books included:

"New Mexico Association for Retarded Children: The First Ten Years, 1957-67"

"Changing Value Concepts", based on research in New Mexico churches and later incorporated into a study guide for the Fourth National Family Life Conference, The Methodist Church, Chicago.

"Tell the Happy of It", an autobiographical account of our family the two years we lived in the New Mexico country with three children, one of them retarded.

"Report on the Handicapped in New Mexico" which was sent to legislators.

Goldie taught classes in spiritual living and was awarded a Doctorate in Religion. She was certified in 1965 as a Lay Speaker for the Methodist Church. At the time of her passing, she was a member of High Desert United Methodist Church in Rio Rancho.

In her later years, she enjoyed traveling, playing music, watching baseball (live and on TV), watching Arabian horses, and being with her grandchildren Brandon Buckner, Krissy Williams and step-grandchild Brandon Hilton along with her five great-grandchildren.

Goldie is survived by two older sister's, Bertha Wagner (102); Jean Rowe (99); step-daughter Suzy Hayden living in Owensboro, KY; son Ronald and wife Brenda Buckner living in Ruidoso; son Bill and wife Joan Buckner living in Albuquerque and Surprise, AZ; grandson Brandon and wife Jessica Buckner living in Albuquerque with their children Bransyn and Ireland Buckner; granddaughter Krissy and husband Josh Williams living in Albuquerque with their daughters Hayden, Peyton and son Tanner Williams; step-grandson Brandon and wife Courtney Hilton living in Mineral, VA. She also had many nieces and nephews.

The Celebration of Life Ceremony will be held to honor Goldie's amazing 97 years of life August 19, 2024, 10:00am at the High Desert United Methodist Church, 1201 Golf Course Rd, Rio Rancho NM, reception at the church to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made directly to High Desert United Methodist Church outreach program "Feed New Mexico Kids".

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