Ouita Fay Green

Ouita Fay Green, age 88, a long-time resident of Peralta, went home to her Lord Jesus on Monday, December 24. Ouita was born to May and King David (Dave) Watkins in the village of Altoga, Texas. Her father was a storekeeper until the Depression hit.˜ Hard times came and the family of seven children moved several times as Dave and May struggled to make ends meet.˜ But after finishing high school in Fort Worth, things began to look up. Ouita managed to enroll in Howard Payne College in Brownwood, Texas, where she also met Clyde Green, her future husband.˜˜ Ouita graduated from Howard Payne and moved on to Baylor University for a master’s degree in English. A career in teaching followed.˜ Ouita taught students of all ages, from first grade through graduate school, in a series of places that attracted her adventurous spirit.˜ Some of her more notable posts were on the Zuni reservation in the early 1950’s, and in Fort Yukon, in what was still the territory of Alaska. Ouita married Clyde Green in 1953, and their first child, Margaret Caroline (Gretchen) was born in 1954.˜ In 1958 Ouita and Clyde bought an ancient adobe house in Peralta, NM, and spent the next forty years restoring it, and growing more deeply in love with each other and with New Mexico.˜ Two more children were born, Kenneth Mark and Ann Elisabeth.˜ Their home was full of love, warmth, peace, and security. When Ouita was eleven she gave her life to Jesus as her Lord at an outdoor revival service.˜ He was her source of strength, guidance, and grace throughout her life. She was faithful and committed to her family, her church, and her friends.˜ Every day began with the Bible, a devotion, and a prayer before breakfast.˜ She had memorized vast amounts of poetry and hymns, and loved singing in the choir at church, and with her family at home.˜ She was known for her grace, her beauty, and her sparkling wit. Ouita cared about the needs of others, and in her unassuming way she touched many lives through many different ministries and community services.˜ She had many interests, and did everything with vigor and a joyful heart.˜She loved travel and she loved home; she sang, she plastered and painted, she wrote poetry, she read the novels of Louis L’Amour; she loved gardening and sewing; she loved building with adobes and with wood; she canned, froze and prepared the food she grew in her own garden; her cherry pie was famous. She loved a good cup of black coffee. Even in her last years, as she suffered the onslaught of Alzheimer’s disease, she continued to be an example of faith, kindness, good humor, and grace to the people around her. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Clyde Green; her grandson, William; and all six of her brothers and sisters. Ouita is survived by her daughters, Gretchen and Annie; son, Kenneth Mark; Gretchen’s husband, Rick Vaughan; Annie’s husband Carl Nolan; Ken’s wife Beth Barnett; five grandchildren; and many loving nephews, nieces, and devoted friends. All services will be held at the First Baptist Church of Bosque Farms, on Saturday, December 29, beginning with a viewing at 10:30 a.m. with a Funeral Service to be held at 11:00 a.m. Interment will be held at Terrace Grove Cemetery on Wednesday, January 2, at 2:30 p.m. The family is very grateful to the staff of Manzano del Sol nursing home for their wonderful care for our mother during these difficult four and a half years, and we know they share our loss.˜ We are proud to have been part of Ouita’s life. The world will be poorer without her.

Ouita Fay Green

December 26, 2012