Erma “Lee” Glasgow Wootten born 6-24-23 on the family homestead near Gladstone, NM, passed away after a brief illness on March 12, 2021, at the grand old age of 97. Lee lived a long life filled with many passions over the years. She did not hold back when it came to life, and she never sat still a minute longer than she had to. Any who met her, remembered her because of her big personality.
Lee had many experiences in her life, including farm life, ranch life, life in the mountains, and city life. She was a Rosie the Riveter in Ft. Worth, TX during WWII, and she spent many years working as a secretary on the WS Ranch in Cimarron, NM. Lee attended grade school in Gladstone, NM, it closed she went to Wheatland (northwest of Farley), Wheatland closed, to and graduated from Farley, NM. One of her memories was her father, Lee Glasgow, acquired the bus route to Gladstone. His daughter, Faye, in high school, drove the “bus”, a farm truck. Because Lee was the first one on, she sat in the front with her sister, but as they picked up other students, Lee moved to the back. Her father had put in a bench along each side for them to sit on. The tailpipe ran down the center of the bed of the truck. In the winter, a tarp was thrown over the top and the students would huddle over the tailpipe to keep warm going/coming from school. In the warmer months, the tarp was thrown back, and the students enjoyed the cloud of dust from the tires.
Family gatherings were one of her favorite things. Getting everyone together for lots of food, many games of Pitch or dominoes, and talking about good times meant everything to her. At the end of every family reunion, Lee started planning the next one. She adored playing with her grandkids and great-grandkids when they were young. She ran around the yard with them, sang with them, and made cookies with them.
One of her early passions was playing Bridge, which she continued to do several times a week until her final days. She had many hobbies during her life, including hunting arrowheads, crocheting, and playing games on her iPad. She learned to ski in her forties and continued skiing until she was 84; her last trip down the hill was with a great-granddaughter. Lee also loved her parties with friends. She always had regular gatherings no matter where she lived, and in her later years, those parties always included a glass or two of red wine.
Her biggest passion, though, was traveling. Lee was so very proud of having visited every state in the Union and setting foot on all 7 continents at least once and traveling to both the Arctic and Antarctica. If she could have, she would have traveled more than she stayed home. At the time of her death, Lee was living in Albuquerque, NM at an independent senior living facility. Not one to be stuck at home, she did not give up driving until she was 96 years old. The world is a little less exciting without Lee in it, and she is missed by all who knew her.
Lee was preceded in death by her parents, Lee and Mary Glasgow, her brothers Dale, Harold, and Bruce, and her sister, Faye McConnell. Lee was also preceded in death by her three loves, T.J. Heiman Jr, Joseph Gourley, and R.K. Wootten, as well as her son TJ “Tojie” Heimann, III. She is survived by her brother Dee and his wife Delight. Her remaining family includes her daughter Linda Lewis and husband Mike, and their daughter Brandi Johnson, husband Casey, and their children, Taylor and Garrett, as well as Linda’s son Sean Lewis and his children, Austin and Kylee. Lee is also survived by her daughter Carol Steffen, husband Tom, and children Rachel Hilley and Jacob Hilley. Lee leaves behind three stepdaughters, Karen McClure, Vicki Wootten, and Wynn Dee Wootten, and their extended families.
