Clay O. Wooten

Clayton O. "Clay" Wooten, 88, died peacefully on Sunday, April 9, 2006, at Mountain View Regional Medical Center after a short illness. Clay was born in Clayton, New Mexico on July 9, 1917, to Jim and May Wooten. His younger years were spent in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. In 1939 he met and married the love of his life, Sarah Lee Owen. They were married for 61 years prior to her death in 2001. Clay and Sarah moved their family to Las Cruces in 1951 to participate in the increased activity at White Sands Missile Range. Clay was a skilled carpenter and ultimately opened his own construction business, Wooten Construction Company, in 1964. He and his company are responsible for innumerable projects on the New Mexico State University campus, Las Cruces Public Schools campuses, and for a host of private owners throughout the area. He took pride in his family, his work and his life. He worked and lived with integrity and expected the same from those around him. Clay loved to fish and spent many happy hours either fishing, getting ready to go fishing or talking about the big one that got away. He had fishing buddies from all over southern New Mexico and west Texas. In addition to Sarah, Clay was preceded in death by his parents, an infant daughter, three brothers and two sisters. He is survived by a son, Ray Wooten and his wife Kathy, a daughter, Elizabeth Pruett and her husband J. B; grandchildren David Pruett and his companion Eva Hernandez, Karen Wooten Clark and her husband Jimmy Clark, Ken Wooten and his wife Maria, all of Las Cruces; Gary Pruett of Fort Worth, Texas; Luke Porter of Las Vegas, Nevada; and honorary grandchildren, John, Michael, Bonnie and Richard Griffin. Also surviving him are five great grandchildren; two sisters-in-law; a brother-in-law and numerous nieces and nephews. A visitation will be held on Wednesday April 12, 2006 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 13, at 10:00 am at the Getz Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made in Clay's memory to Mesilla Valley Hospice or to the NMSU Foundation. PDF Printable Version