In Loving Memory of
Nona May Stubblefield Lindley
July 28, 1936 — July 28, 2026
Nona May Stubblefield Lindley entered this world on July 28, 1936, in Buhl, Idaho, welcomed by her parents, Delbert and Margaret Stubblefield, as the second of their four children. She left this world peacefully on July 28, 2026, at Fort Bayard Medical Center, on her 90th birthday, following a short illness.
As a girl, Nona traveled across the western United States alongside her family, moving from field to field as they worked the land together, a childhood that instilled in her a quiet toughness and a deep respect for home and labor. In 1957, while in California, she crossed paths with the man who would become the love of her life, Walter Lindley. They exchanged vows in Indio, California, on May 9, 1958, setting off on a partnership that would span decades and carry them through many seasons of life.
The newlyweds made their first home in Dinuba, California, where Walter took on contract work harvesting citrus across the central valley while Nona kept their household running. There, they welcomed sons Mikel in 1959 and Mark in 1962. By the summer of 1962, the couple had taken a chance on their own citrus farm, purchasing land and trees, but a brutal freeze that winter wiped out the investment and forced them to start over.
That setback carried the family to Reserve, New Mexico, where Walter found work in the logging trade, and later to Mimbres, New Mexico, where they welcomed a third son, Matthew, in 1965. Mimbres became the place Nona called home for years to come, where she devoted herself to raising her three boys and found joy in the crafts she loved. A gifted seamstress, she sewed clothing for her own family as well as for neighbors and friends. She was equally skilled with a crochet hook, creating blankets, shawls, socks, and more, often designing her own patterns. She had a special gift for crocheting baby blankets, many of which she lovingly donated, and she was known to take on special requests for her creations, which more often than not became cherished Christmas gifts for the people she loved.
In 1992, Walter and Nona relocated to Silver City, New Mexico, staying there together until Walter's death in 2012. Nona later settled at Golden Mesa in Las Cruces, and in early 2025, she moved to Fort Bayard, where she lived out her final months.
Nona was greeted in heaven by her parents, her cherished husband Walter, her siblings, and her son Matthew. Left to cherish her memory are her sons Mikel (Kim) and Mark (Kathleen), eight grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren, along with the many lives she touched through her needle and thread and her love of handmade craft.
A private celebration of Nona's life will be held in September.
