Troyetta King (King) Batley

Troyetta Irene King Batley

Troyetta was born on August 7, 1928 in Farmington, New Mexico and passed from this life on December 5, 2014 in her home surrounded by the love of her husband and children.
Troyetta was the youngest child of Troy and Irene (Hammond) King. After her mother's death when she was five, Troyetta was cared for by her father and her aunts. When she was twelve, her father married her beloved stepmother, Ida Knight King. Troyetta attended Farmington Schools and graduated in 1946. As a teenager, she rode her horse, Peanuts, over much of the valley and this town was truly part of her soul.
When she was 17, she left home to attend Regina School of Nursing in Albuquerque, NM and graduated with her RN in 1949. She met her true love, Bob Batley, in June, 1947 in Santa Fe, NM at a USO picnic. They were inseparable from their first meeting and eloped on April 9, 1949, as she was not allowed to be married during nurses training. They kept their marriage a secret until their planned church wedding in Farmington on June 11, 1949.
Troyetta and Bob had five daughters: Betty (Sam) Ward, Mary Batley Rogers, Judy Castleberry, Kathy (David) Dale (deceased) and Bobbie (Billy) Stevens. Next to her role as a wife, she saw properly raising these five girls as most important. She was preceded in death by her parents, her stepmother, her daughter, her brother (Norman) and sister (Naomi), her stepbrother (Neeley Swenk), her stepsisters (Dorothy Hickman and Lucille Holloway) and granddaughter (Sara Diane Ward). So much of her life was defined by the family and friends she lost along the way, yet she never dwelled on the grief always modeling that "life does go on".
In addition to raising their family, Troyetta and Bob owned and operated Office Supply and Service, Co. for 40 years and were also very involved in the community. Troyetta was baptized in and an active member of First United Methodist Church her entire life. One of the other joys of her life was researching local and family history and she was always retelling a story about Farmington or explaining a connection between members of the community. She was called upon many times as a resource to someone writing a book or working in the museum looking for the historical account of an event.
She is survived by her loving husband of 67 years, Bob Batley, her four living daughters, Betty Ward, Mary Batley Rogers, Judy Castleberry and Bobbie Stevens, and her two devoted son-in laws, Sam Ward and Billy Stevens. Also surviving are her grandchildren, Jymi Rogers, Sonja (Tom) Madsen, Adam Milner, Shane (Leslie) Ward, Jesse (Dacia) Rogers, Erin Castleberry, Kali Wilson and Natalie Stevens; her great grandchildren, Camille Lawrence, Caity Rogers, Shyla Rogers, Boston Rogers and Grady Ward; great, great granddaughter, Raelynn Karamol; her Colorado nieces Irene King, Janice Swenson and Helen McCann and close family friend, Wendy Bircher. It is a living tribute to her that this entire family will gather to mourn her loss.
There is not a soul who was kinder or gave more to her husband, her family, her friends, her church and her community. She was truly the heart of so many things and will be greatly missed by all who knew her, but most especially by her family.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Syed Kazmi and the staff of San Juan Oncology Associates and Dr. Jude Gabaldon for their care and kindness.
A service celebrating her life will be held on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at 11:00am at First United Methodist Church (808 N. Monterey, Farmington). Cremation has taken place and her remains will be privately interned in the King plot at Greenlawn Cemetery with a portion to be returned to the earth of the family homestead she loved so much near Dolores, Colorado at a later date. In lieu of flowers, people may make a donation in her honor to the Farmington Museum Foundation (3401 E. Main St. Farmington, NM 87401).
Troyetta's arrangements are under the direction of Brewer, Lee and Larkin Funeral Home, 103 East Ute St., (505) 325-8688.