Pearl Kerr of Animas, NM passed away Friday, January 14, 2022 peacefully at home with her family by her side. Pearl was a lifelong resident of the Animas Valley which she loved. Born March 27, 1927 she was the oldest child of Buster and Oma McCants, cattle ranchers from the Valley View area of Animas.
Pearl attended Valley View school thru 8th grade. Her mother, Oma McCants, was a charter member of the Valley View Presbyterian Church and Pearl was a little girl when they started building the church in 1933, where she was an active member for the 94 years of her life. She remembered as a 6-year-old starting school, her dad, Buster, would take her the three miles on his horse every day. Every morning they would start out with her dad cussing the horse who tried to buck the first quarter mile with Pearl hanging on for dear life behind her dad till the horse got settled down. She later attended Animas school, then graduated from Lordsburg High School in 1945. She attended college in Silver City for a short period and worked at the Up-To-Date Grocery before marrying Fred “Duke” Kerr, Jr. on Dec. 7, 1946.
In their early years Duke and Pearl owned the Cotton City Grocery, then Duke decided to become deputy sheriff under Oscar Allen, an old family friend. Soon he got out of that to follow his dream of farming on the ranch that his folks, Fred and Adelaide owned. He farmed and ranched till his passing in 1990 at the age of 69. Pearl was a housewife, raising their five children, Allen, Nancy, Ed “Bim”, Joni “Duti”, and Kate. Then in 1973 she got a contract with the Post Office delivering mail to Separ, Hachita, Playas, and later Road Forks. She worked with that contract for 44 years, with her son Allen helping for many years. After her husband died, she ranched cattle for many years with her sons, Allen and Bim, helping.
Her hobbies were visiting, shopping, and taking care of grandkids. She loved to visit all of her many friends in the Animas and Lordsburg areas. She spent many years helping her daughter Kate raise her four children which kept her active with cooking, babysitting, and attending Animas volleyball and basketball games that Kate coached and her kids played in. She was an active supporter of Hidalgo County Fair and the livestock sale each year with her many grandkids that showed animals in the fair.
Pearl is survived by four of her children, Allen (Linnie), Bim (Lindy), Duti (Randy) Walter, and Kate Johnson and one sister, Barbara Naul.
She was preceded in death by her daughter, Nancy (Ron) Lamb and brother, Tommy McCants.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 10 o’clock in the morning at the Valley View Community Church with Pastor Isaac Kerr officiating. A potluck meal with follow with burial afterwards at Mountain View Cemetery in Lordsburg, NM.
Serving as pallbearers will be Clay Walter, Trace Jackson, Justin and Jason Lamb, Jake and Tyler Kerr.
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