Helen Peralta (Elena) Quintana

Helen Quintana, 93, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt, went home to her heavenly Father on April 7, 2016. She was born on August 18, 1922 to Demecio Peralta and Francisquita Silva and was the second oldest of ten children.
She was delivered by her Grandmother, Rebecca Silva, at the Enrique Silva Sr. Ranch in the Tucson Mountains, near Capitan, New Mexico.
Helen, her sister Natividad, and their father played music for dances and weddings in and around Lincoln County, New Mexico. She accompanied him on the guitar while he played violin. She said that her daddy used to tease her and tell her that the knees in her pants would wear out fast because any time that something "bad" happened she would go outside and pray. My mother said she was unsociable, and when people would go to the ranch to visit she would hide and go outside and sit under a tree and play her guitar.
She competed in Lincoln County Activity Days in 1936-1939 and won many ribbons for spelling, arithmetic, potato race, broad jump, basketball free shots, basketball throw, and girls' relay.
Helen graduated from Capitan High School in 1943 with her sister Natividad, was the captain of the girls' basketball team and also competed in the high jump. Her Physical Education teacher had high aspirations for her and wanted to train her for the Olympics, but Helen says she didn't even know what the Olympics were.
She moved to Albuquerque in 1944 with her sister Adelaida and lived with William and Anna Eggert, who owned Albuquerque Business College. Helen attended Albuquerque Business College because she wanted to be a secretary. She took care of Mr. and Mrs. Eggert's 3 children; Shirley, Phyllis, and Frank. Frank is is now Monsignor Francis X Eggert, who will preside at the funeral mass.
Helen also accomplished many things in her long life. She lived through the Great Depression and WWII. She was a cowgirl who saw many inventions like the automobile, television, airplane, space travel and computers. She and her sisters made their own lipstick and "rouge" from minerals at the Peralta Ranch. Helen worked in the fields, chopped wood, picked cotton, branded the calves, and worked on the land, among other stories she would tell us. She happened to be visiting the ranch on July 16, 1945 when the first atomic bomb was tested at the Trinity Atomic Bomb Site at White Sands Missile Range. Helen experienced the fallout from the radiation and was a two-time breast cancer survivor for over 40 years. She also enjoyed singing with the Fiesta Singers.
Helen worked for La Placita Restaurant in Old Town and also at La Hacienda in Old Town. She started by waiting tables and was quickly promoted to "salad girl", hostess, and then to bookkeeper where she prepared the payroll. She eventually became the office manager.
Helen married Cecilio Quintana in 1948 and they were married for 58 years until his death in 2006. She was preceded in death by her father, Demecio Peralta, her mother Francisquita Silva Peralta, husband Cecilio Quintana, daughter Juanita Pinkney and most of her brothers and sisters. Helen is survived by her daughter, Theresa McKinley and husband Bill McKinley, Grandchildren Lisa Pinkney, Tina Pinkney, David Pinkney, and Robert Chamberlain, her sister Genoveva Purcella, and many nieces and nephews.
Helen was a member of Annunciation Catholic Church and a devout Catholic. A Rosary will be recited at Our Lady of the Annunciation Catholic Church on Wednesday, April 20th at 10 AM, with the Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at 10:30 AM, Monsignor Francis X Eggert presiding. Helen has been cremated and there will be no burial at this time.
A celebration of Helen's life will be at Theresa's house after the Mass. The address will be provided at the Mass.
The family would like to thank French Funerals & Cremations for their caring, understanding and patience, especially Jonathan "Buck" Dyck.
She will be truly missed by everyone who knew her.