Memorials › Dona Gay Chitwood Montgomery

Dona Gay Chitwood Montgomery

16 Mar 1891 – 21 Aug 1985

Birth	16 Mar 1891
Death	21 Aug 1985
Cemetery	Memory Gardens of Farmington Farmington , San Juan County , New Mexico , USA
Added by	Ben Cynova on 09 Jun 2009
FaG	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19242159

Bio

Dona Gay Chitwood Montgomery (1891–1985) A Life Between the Frontier and the Modern West Early Life in Ector, Texas Gay Chitwood was born March 16, 1891, in Ector, Fannin County, Texas, the daughter of Sparrell Hale Chitwood (1847–1911) and Mary Cassandre "Cassie" Stephenson (1858–1932). She was part of a large and industrious family deeply rooted in the soil and traditions of northern Texas. Her father, Sparrell, a Tennessee-born farmer and grandson of Squire Chitwood of Virginia, descended from the Chetwood family of England, whose line reached back to 17th-century colonial Virginia. The Chitwood household in Ector was lively, full of brothers and sisters — Pearl, Clyde, Floyd, Bernice, Bruce, Earl, Leonard ("Lyn"), and Bluford — all raised to value faith, hard work, and family loyalty. Gay's childhood unfolded against the rhythms of planting and harvest, community church gatherings, and the steady hum of small-town life in the Red River valley. By 1900, she appeared in census records as a nine-year-old at home with her parents, attending local school and helping her mother with younger siblings. Her upbringing reflected the steady virtues of frontier families transitioning into the new century: self-reliance, neighborly care, and devotion to kin. Marriage and Family in Texas Following the death of her father in 1911, Gay continued to live with her mother until her marriage to Frank Montgomery (1886–1980) on December 24, 1912, in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas. The marriage united two well-known farming families of North Texas — the Chitwoods and the Montgomerys — both with deep roots in the region's early settlement. Gay and Frank began their married life near Whitewright, Grayson County, where Frank farmed and engaged in local trade. The couple's early years were marked by steady work and family growth. They welcomed: Robert Claude ("R.C.") Montgomery, born July 14, 1915, and Mary Clarice Montgomery, born November 19, 1916. Life in Whitewright offered a balance between rural living and small-town opportunity — a place where community, church, and family ties formed the foundation of everyday life. Journey West to New Mexico In the late 1920s, Gay and Frank joined the westward movement of many Texans seeking new land and opportunity in New Mexico. They settled in Torrance County, near Varney, where Gay's perseverance and adaptability helped her family endure the often harsh high-desert environment. In 1928, she gave birth to twin daughters, Theda Gay and Marcella Mae Montgomery, on July 27, 1928. Heartbreak followed when Marcella Mae died in infancy the following January in El Paso, Texas, while Theda survived and lived to adulthood. Despite challenges brought by the Great Depression and the isolated life of the New Mexico plains, Gay and Frank built a stable household defined by faith and familial devotion. Their home became a gathering place for neighbors and travelers, a symbol of the quiet endurance that characterized so many Chitwood descendants across the Southwest. By 1930, the Montgomery family was recorded in Varney, Torrance County, and in later years they moved north to Flora Vista, San Juan County, where they continued farming and community life through the 1940s and beyond. The Passing of Her Mother In March of 1932, Gay's beloved mother, Mary Cassandre "Cassie" (Stephenson) Chitwood, came to visit her daughter and grandchildren in New Mexico. During that visit — meant simply as a family reunion — Cassie unexpectedly passed away in Corona, Lincoln County, New Mexico, on March 16, 1932, which poignantly was Dona's 41st birthday. Her mother's sudden passing left a deep imprint on Gay, but it also underscored the closeness of their bond — a reflection of the enduring strength between Chitwood mothers and daughters that carried across miles and generations. Cassie was laid to rest nearby, marking the first Chitwood burial in New Mexico soil. Later Years in San Juan County As decades passed, Gay remained a steady presence in her family's life. The 1940 and 1950 U.S. Census show her and Frank in Flora Vista, where their children grew and started families of their own. Their surviving children were: Robert Claude (R.C.) Montgomery (1915–2003), who became a respected figure in the ranchers community; Mary Clarice Montgomery (1916–2010), active in church and civic work; and Theda Gay Montgomery (1928–2017), who carried on her mother's warmth and resilience. Gay outlived nearly all of her siblings — the many sons of Sparrell Chitwood — whose lives spanned from Texas to Tennessee, Austin, and beyond. Her long life bore witness to a century of change, yet she remained rooted in the same steadfast values that defined her family's history. Final Years and Legacy Frank Montgomery passed away on August 23, 1980, in Farmington, San Juan County, New Mexico, after nearly 68 years of marriage to Gay. Five years later, on August 21, 1985, Gay followed, passing peacefully at the age of 94. She was laid to rest beside her husband at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Farmington. Her life spanned from the post–Civil War generation of her parents to the modern world of the late twentieth century. Through all those years, she carried forward the legacy of the Chitwoods and Stephensons — faith, endurance, and a profound love of home. Epilogue From Ector, Texas, to Flora Vista, New Mexico, Gay Chitwood Montgomery's life tells a uniquely American story of migration, perseverance, and generational strength. The daughter of a Tennessee pioneer and the granddaughter of a Virginian patriarch, she became, in her own quiet way, a matriarch of the Chitwood line in New Mexico. Her story is not merely one of dates and movements — but of spirit. Through the changing times of her 94 years, Gay carried with her the gentleness, fortitude, and familial devotion that marked her as a true descendant of Squire Chitwood's enduring American legacy. Obituary Montgomery - Mrs. Gay Montgomery, 94, Flora Vista, died Wednesday at San Juan Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be from 1 to 8 p.m. today and until 1 p.m. Saturday. Funeral Service will be held 2 p.m. Saturday at Cope Memorial Chapel, Aztec, with the Rev. Thomas W. Ogilvie officiating. Burial will be in Memory Gardens. Born March 16, 1891, in Ector, Texas, Mrs Montgomery was a lifelong homemaker. She had lived in the Flora Vista area since November 1937. Preceeded in death by her husband Frank, in August 1980, and two daughters, Marcella and Jeanette, she is survived by her son, R.C. Montgomery, Flora Vista; two daughters, Clarice Mariner, Wheatland CA, and Theda Cynova, Flora Vista; a brother, Bluford Chitwood, Aztec; several nieces and nephews; seven grand-children and ten great-grand-children. Pallbears include Larry Cynova, Tim Cynova, Noel Chitwood, Johnny Cundiff, Johnny J. Cundiff and Shawn Volbrecht. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

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Frank Montgomery 1886–1980

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