It was nearly 30 years ago on a chilly Saturday morning in October when I met Jamie. At the time she was a longtime member of the Grants Beautification Committee and I was the newly named president of Grants MainStreet. The two non-profit organizations collaborated in beautifying Santa Fe Avenue by planting flowers on Santa Fe Avenue.
It was Randy Hoffman who introduced me to Jamie. “This is Jamie,” Hoffman said. “And this is Donald, MainStreet’s newly elected president. She replied with a chuckle, “Why’d you do that?” It quickly felt like a warning. Little did I know at the time, it was.
Jamie Holton was born on January 5, 1932 in Minersville, Pennsylvania. It was no wonder she felt right at home here in Cibola County, the area once known as the Uranium Capital of the World.
Mining is what drew the young Holton family to the West. They were headed to the “Promise Land”, California. They made a pit stop in Grant and never left, making Grants their final home and resting place.
“We were on a waiting list,” Jamie told me long ago. “As soon as one house was built it was moved into. This little town was the happening place. I remember moving into here (their home on Chaco Street) when there was nothing north of here. Now look at it (she pointed north to nothing but homes). Our home was the last one at the time. We were so excited to finally move in, and we’ve never left.”
I’ve often thought the Holton’s were a God send to the area just by the positive impact they made. I also think they wouldn’t have been a good fit for California. The 50-plus year couple just don’t remind me of the “Cali” type.
Norman, Jamie’s husband, worked in the uranium mining industry and she started her banking/loan career at the Credit Bureau. He retired early while Jamie kept on, ending up at Grants State Bank, today known as TBK.
Norman was not the type of person to get involved in the community so once retired, he stayed home and tended to the pets and garden while Jamie never stopped, working and volunteering. And when I say never stopped, I mean never ever stopped.
Through the years, Jamie was involved in many community service related organizations and efforts including the Grants Rodeo Association, City of Grants Planning and Zoning, Grants MainStreet, Fire and Ice Bike Rally, Rotary, etc.
“When I think of what defined Mom I think of community service,” said Norene Chavez, one of Jamie’s four daughters. Jamie and Norman had five children: Mary Jo, Christine, Kenny, Norene, and Pauline. Pauline passed away in January, affecting Jamie’s energy level according to those closest to her.
“She just didn’t stop. Mom loved to help the community, the kids, and the organizations. That’s just who she was,” she added while shaking her head slowly with a smile.
In Jamie’s later years, much of her community service time was provided at the rodeo grounds where she regularly welcomed other community service workers, well court ordered community service workers.
While many of us might tend to be a bit more cautious around court ordered community service workers, not Jamie. She treated everyone the same – rich or poor, black, brown or white, male or female, to Jamie you were a person and that how she treated you.”
I believe it was while she was in the loan/banking business that she became so thick skinned. “Mom would go alone to repo vehicles, boats, RVs, all over Cibola County. Dad, the bank, would offer to go with her and she would say “no, it’s my job… I need to do it alone.”
Point is Jamie was doing those repos during area’s most challenging times, when the mining industry collapsed and many in the area went from spend, spend, spend to broke, broke, broke.
Could you imagine the many items needing to be repossessed at the time and the different characters she had to deal with? All 5-foot tall of her so it definitely was not the looks that was intimidating. It was her fairness, kindness, seriousness and smile.
Anyone who knew Jamie knew that two of her goals in life were to make the rodeo grounds public and to cover the arena. Goal number one was met fairly quick in comparison to the second. “When Mom joined the Rodeo Association it was private. She wanted to make it public for the kids,” said Norene.
The arena was made public many years ago and the cover finally came just two years ago. “She was happy to see it finally covered before she passed,” Norene added.
Jamie Holton passed away on March 28. Cibola County lost an angel.
When the arena’s canopy was complete, several local leaders wanted to name the arena atter Jamie but she refused. “She didn’t want the limelight, the stage. She cared for the children and the community service organizations,” Norene emphasized.
My thought is at some point the Rodeo Grounds Association is going to want a playground for all the kiddos who participate or attend the events. Why not build a nice park near with a playground within the rodeo grounds property and tag with “Jamie’s Playground”. I promise you Jamie would get a kick out of it. She wouldn’t mind considering it was for the children, the thing she was most about.
Love You Jamie. I know you will rest in peace.