Bertha Orcelia Valdez

BERTHA ORCELIA “CHELLA” VALDEZ Funeral services for lifelong Cortez resident Bertha Orcelia “Chella” Valdez will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, November 24 at the Evangel Assembly of God Church. Cremation will follow the funeral service. Pastor Jeff McDonald will officiate. Bertha was born on January 18, 1937 in Glencoe, Colo., the daughter of Fidel and Emilia (Archuleta) Chavez. She passed away on Saturday, November 18, 2006 at the Southwest Memorial Hospital at the age of 69. Bertha was a member of the Evangel Assembly of God Church. She was a very talented cook and she enjoyed playing poker. Bertha liked to crochet, hunt and fish. Surviving Bertha are her companion, Robert Deragowski of Cortez; and her children, Arlene Rabey and husband, Country of Springview, Idaho, Darlene Alexander, Gilbert Archuleta, and Alfred “Sonny” Archuleta and wife, Shirley, all of Cortez, Romelia Debra Ruiz and husband, Alfredo of Mancos, Randy Archuleta of Alabama, and Maxine M. Lemus and husband, Preciliano of Montrose, Colo. She also leaves behind her brother, Edward Chavez of Cortez; 19 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; her sisters-in-law, Mamie Chavez of Cortez, and Emily Chavez of Utah; her granddaughter-in-law, Amanda Gallegos of Colorado; and numerous nieces and nephews. Bertha was preceded in death by her parents; her daughters, Wanda Gallegos and Linda Archuleta; her brothers, Sam Chavez, Abe Chavez, and Fidel Joe Chavez; her sister-in-law, Olivia Chavez; and her grandchildren, Victor Shane Gallegos and Maria de la Luz Lobato.