Jay H. Arlold

Joseph (Jay) Arnold, long time resident of the Picacho-Fairacres area, died at Memorial Medical Center on May 15, 2005, at the age of 86. He was the fifth of six children born to Rupert and Alma Arnold. He was born December 23, 1918, in Ovalo, Texas in Taylor County. The drought of 1929-30 caused the Arnolds to leave West Texas. They moved to New Mexico, settling in the Dona Ana Hill area, where Jay's father obtained work on the C. M. Harvey farm. Jay graduated from Hill Grade School, in a class of three, in 1934. In 1935, the family moved to the present-day farm in Picacho. Jay continued his education at Las Cruces Union High School, graduating in 1938. When Jay arrived in New Mexico, he became interested in the Spanish language, however, Spanish was not taught in grade school. He had made many Hispanic friends, whom he asked to teach him the Spanish language. They took up the challenge and taught him from the sixth grade through the twelfth grade. Because of this, combined with three years of high school Spanish, not only was he speaking fluent Spanish, but was also reading and writing the language as well. Upon graduation, new job offers came to him. His first offer came from the J. C. Penney Co. store on Main Street. Then, the Director of the Agriculture Adjustment Agency (AAA) heard about his dual language ability. He invited Jay to join the workforce at AAA; Jay accepted. He worked out of the map room of AAA measuring farms in Dona Ana County. At that time, the U. S. Government issued acreage allotments on various crops across the nation. The crops that were primarily affected in Dona Ana County were Short Staple cotton and Pima cotton. Each year, every farm in Dona Ana County had to be measured, checked and certified before subsidy payments could be made to qualified growers. Jay also gathered statistics on all crops large and small. This information was forwarded on to NMDA and USDA in Washington. This job was terminated when the U.S. government asked the American farmer for an all out production for the War effort in WWII. The Myers Company, southern New Mexico's largest tractor franchise got word of Jay's termination and invited him in for an interview. Again, Jay's dual language ability was discussed. Jay joined that workforce, and served the Myers Company for twenty years, as a field representative selling Red Farm-All tractors and McCormick-Deering farm machinery under the International Harvestor Company emblem. At the death of the owner of IHC franchise, individuals and companies were bidding for the franchise rights. The Chairman of the Board of the Las Cruces Production Credit Association (Farm Credit) got word of the possible change of the IHC franchise and invited Jay to join the workforce at PCA. After several months of consideration, he accepted. He served the association for 15 years, first as Vice President, then as President. He returned to the farm in 1975 that was now planted in pecans. Jay served as Chairman of the Picacho Farm Bureau and on the Board of Directors for the Picacho Gin Association. He was a Master Mason of 53 years, his home lodge being Aztec #3-AF&AM. He also served as "Dad" for the Assembly #12, Rainbow for Girls, a Masonic Affiliation. He was a graduate of Dale Carnegie and served as Graduate Assistant in Southern New Mexico. Jay was a dog lover. He had to have a dog or dogs around all the time. He treated them like children. Evidence of his love for his four-legged friends is the cemetery set aside on the farm. At the head of each pet's grave is a three-foot high white cross, with that pet's name inscribed on the cross. Jay also liked music. He played the baritone in his freshman and sophomore years and the trumpet in his junior and senior years in the high school orchestra. He enjoyed classical music especially string quartet, quintet, and sextet, along with piano concertos. His real enjoyment of music was New Orleans Dixieland Jazz, along with the boot scootin' music of "Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys". Jay turned the pecan operation over to his three sons in 1979. He now had time to do something he had wanted to do for a long time. Since The First Baptist Church of Las Cruces had been Jay's church home for almost 75 years, he asked what he could do around the church and they put him work to fixing small items. One of the jobs he enjoyed came from the nursery, fixing little broken chairs and painting them five different bright colors, some eighty of them. Jay served as usher and greeter for about twenty-five years. He wanted the congregation to feel about the church as he did--that The First Baptist Church was a home away from home. In 1942, Jay met a beautiful young lady by the name of Georgia Cothern. In 1943, Jay and Georgia were married by Reverend Harold Dye, pastor of the First Baptist Church. Today, he is survived by Georgia, his sweetheart of 63 years; daughter Susan Jesinsky and husband DJ, granddaughter Amber Morgan, husband Nick, great-granddaughter Alexandra Morgan, all of Waco, Texas; son Gary and wife Karen of Las Cruces, granddaughter Nicole Scott and husband Bryan, great-grandchildren Zane and Lana, all of Liberty Hill, Texas, and grandson Jacob and wife Missy of Rio Rancho, New Mexico; son Phillip and wife Wanda of Las Cruces, granddaughter Tamie McGehee and husband David, great-granddaughters Meritt and Mallie, all of Littlefield, Texas, and grandson Phillip Campbell of Las Cruces; and son Joey and wife Mary Therese, grandsons Joel Luke and Jay Thomas, all of Las Cruces. He is also survived by sisters Stella Edwards of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, and Novie Grey of San Antonio, Texas. His father and mother, sister and two brothers preceded him in death. Visiting hours will be from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Tuesday, May 17, 2005, at Getz Funeral Home. Funeral service will be Wednesday, May 18, 2005, at the First Baptist Church at 106 S. Miranda St. at 2:00 p.m. Burial will be at Masonic Cemetery with Masonic rites. Serving as pallbearers will be Joe Paul Lack, Chuck Faubian, Billy Salopek, Dave Thompson, Larry Brown, and Chris Shelley. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the name of Jay Arnold to the First Baptist Church of Las Cruces. PDF Printable Version