Jose E Herrera

Jose E. Herrera, 83, a resident of Las Vegas, NM passed away at the Princeton Place Nursing Home Facility in Albuquerque on Monday. He was preceded in death by his parents, Macario and Natividad Herrera and a brother, Lloyd Herrera. He is survived by his wife, Margaret of Las Vegas, NM; three daughters and one son, Macario Herrera and wife Vicki of Rio Rancho, NM; one brother, Henry Herrera of Albuquerque; five grandchildren: Joshua Herrera, Michael Elmer, Mark Herrera, and Matthew Herrera, and Mike Baca; and one great-grandchild, Angela Elmer. He was born in Sapello, New Mexico on May 29, 1924. He graduated from Vegas High School and received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Agricultural Economics from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM. On February 14, 1949 he was united in marriage to Margaret Alire at Our Lady of Sorrows Church. He was a county extension agent thru the Cooperative Extension Service at New Mexico State University and worked in Santa Fe, Taos, Mora, and Las Vegas where he worked for 18 years. During this time he worked with many youth throughout northern New Mexico through the 4-H Program. Upon his retirement from the Cooperative Extension Service, he worked for several years for San Miguel County.He was a World War II veteran and served with the Army Air Corps the highest rank of Tech Sergeant. He served with the 600th Bomb Squadron in the European Theater and participated in many sorties over enemy occupied territory with the Air Offensive Europe and Normandy Campaigns. He was a recipient of the Purple Heart and received the European African Middle Easter Service Ribbon with two Bronze Battle Stars, the Air Medal, the Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Overseas Service Bar. On his 28th of the required 30 missions, he broke two vertebrae in his back when he parachuted out of a B-17 bomber before it crashed. This took place on September 29, 1944. He was honorably discharged on September 22, 1945 in Ft. Logan, Colorado. A life long Catholic, he was a member of Our Lady of Sorrows Church and had served as a member of the Parish Council and was a minister of the Eucharist and a Catechism instructor. He had also been a member of the local Elks Lodge, Keep Las Vegas Beautiful, and the Disabled American Veterans.Graveside committal services with military honors were held this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. from the Santa Fe National Cemetery. The family has requested that memorials in his honor be made to the Heating and Air Conditioning Fund at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 403 Valencia, Las Vegas, NM 87701. Arrangements were under the direction of Billy G. Rogers at Gonzales Funerals & Cremations, 2315 Hot Springs Blvd., 425-9319.

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