Neleen Harper

A true New Mexican native, Laura Neleen Harper (Neleen) was born Wednesday, October 28, 1936 in Tucumcari, NM. After a long time of suffering, she found relief in the promise of her Lord and Savior passing away Monday, June 27, 2022, five days following her 65th wedding anniversary in Albuquerque, NM. She was born to Robert Lane and birth mother, Irene Alice Dugger (who died shortly after childbirth). She was a youth member of the Fruit Avenue Baptist Church until she moved with her family to Tulsa, OK around the age of four. Her maternal grandmother, Laura Belle Birdsong, was her lifelong inspiration and caretaker. Her father remarried her step-mother, Wilma Lane (McFarland). Her only sibling, Mitchel Lane was born in Colorado and later died serving in Vietnam as a pilot in the NM Air National Guard. Her father's career in the Army Corps of Engineers took the family to many different locations including Logan, NM, Tulsa, OK, Wichita, KS, Las Animas, CO, and Albuquerque, NM. Eventually, her family returned to Albuquerque where she attended Lincoln Junior High School, Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, OK, and eventually graduating from Wichita East High School in Wichita, KS.

Neleen met Kenneth Harper in Wichita, KS where they were both in attendance at Wichita State University. They fell in love and she agreed to a long engagement while he completed his college degree and received his commission into the United States Air Force. Following those accomplishments, they married on Saturday, June 22, 1957, putting their total number of years together at 70 years. Together, they moved to Seattle for a year-long honeymoon where she attended the University of Washington earning her teaching certificate with additional courses in clothing design. They moved to Langley AFB in Hampton, VA where Kenneth worked as a Base Engineer and Neleen supported his career above and beyond the expectations of a military officer's wife. There in VA, she gave birth to their first son, Gary. Following their short time in VA, they returned to Albuquerque, NM where Kenneth began his successful career with Sandia Laboratory and began the long work on his master's degree. Their second son, Brian was born here in Albuquerque. Neleen continued to support her husband in his career and care for her young family through Kenneth's many hours spent at the University and Sandia Laboratory.

She was a preschool teacher at the Little Corral kindergarten for a time. She loved her sons very much and always went above and beyond to show interest in their lives. Beyond just the usual duties of supplying snacks and drinks for their little league games, she took lessons and became an official scorekeeper. Known for having a charismatic personality, she never met a stranger. She welcomed and aided innumerable friends throughout the years. She was generous of spirit, hugs, and love and well-loved in return. She suffered many ailments through life but never let those or constraints on her time prevent her from helping a friend or even a stranger in need.
As her boys grew older, she continued to find new ways to connect with them. She took Accounting 101 at the local community college to learn about her son, Gary's profession and learned basic aeronautics to be able to communicate with her son, Brian in his career as an Air Force pilot. Kenneth and Neleen were long time attendees of first Fruit Avenue and later Hoffman Town Baptist Church. They were great travelers, attending many family reunions in Logan, NM, OK, and KS as well as vacations to visit their sons and their families in Roswell, El Paso, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Del Rio, South Carolina, Spain, and Japan.

She is survived by her husband, Kenneth; son, Gary and his wife, Beverly, their children, Margo and Amber and great-grandchildren; son Brian and his wife, Maria with three children, Anne, Sean, and Connor.

Visitation will be on Sunday, July 10, 2022, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., at French- Lomas. A Funeral Service will be held on Monday, July 11, 2022, 11:00 a.m., at French- Lomas.

Please click on link below to view Funeral Service, being held on Monday, July 11, 2022 at 11am. https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/authorise.php?k=1657337950194969