Cecelia Birdshead Junker

Cecelia Birdshead Junker Heaven got a little bit busier Friday June 5, 2015. The passing of Cecelia Birdshead Junker marked the end of a full, well-lived life of 92 years. On September 1, 1923, Cecelia was born to Martha Leland Hughes and Oscar Birdshead in the Arapaho Settlement of Colony, Oklahoma. As a child, she was moved with her mother to Phoenix, Arizona. She attended St. Mary's Catholic Elementary school in Phoenix and then Haskell High School in Lawrence, Kansas. Cecelia joined the United States Navy as a WAV in 1941. In the Navy, she met and married Hugh Staver in Washington, DC during WWII. She was widowed as the war ended. After being honorably discharged as an SPII from the Navy in 1945, she returned to Arizona to work in Window Rock. While living in Window Rock, she met and married Edward Junker in 1946. Together, the two operated the Trading Post at Mexican Springs, NM. In 1953, they started a Bulk Dealership in Gallup, New Mexico with Humble Oil, which eventually became Exxon. As she raised their seven children, she returned to school at the University of New Mexico and attained a degree in University Studies with a major in History. She played Bridge and won many gardening awards. She led Girl Scout Troops on forays all over the great Southwest, took High School students on ski trips to Purgatory Ski Area and sponsored Rotary Foreign Exchange students while raising her own. In 1970, she restarted her career as an Administrative Assistant at the PHS Indian Health Hospital in Gallup. She worked there and at HIS in Window Rock until retirement. Cecelia was widowed again in 1979 with the passing of Edward who, at the time, was Mayor of Gallup, NM. Shortly thereafter, Cecelia moved to Albuquerque, NM to be closer to family. There, she worked for Heights Psychiatric Hospital until its closing. She reacquainted with a close friend from the days before the war in Window Rock and rekindled the relationship. She married Sammy Blatchford in 1998 and moved to Lander, Wyoming. They traveled the United States and Europe, studied and lived the good life until Sammy's passing. She returned to Albuquerque and lived there until 2013, when she retired to Phoenix, AZ. Cecelia was a woman who led a robust, interesting life. She was an excellent seamstress, oil painter, student, hiker, skier and bon vivant. She loved to travel and saw the far reaches of the world from China to Russia to the Old World of Europe. Cecelia is preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Juliet; her husbands; her oldest son, Hugh Michael Staver; her oldest daughter, Geraldine Marie Cerasani; son, George Edward Junker; nieces, Leslie Flint and Cecelia Cobb of Phoenix, and her nephew, Edward Tinker Pineau (Robbie), of Los Lunas. She is survived by daughters, Kristine Johnson (Rick) of Phoenix, Martha Gretchen Junker of Albuquerque and Ingrid Ann Holly Day of Scottsdale, AZ; sons, Edward Junker (Treva) of Bernalillo, NM and Thomas Gregory Junker (Gloria) of Los Lunas, NM; niece, Stephanie Greeves (Richard), of Landers, WY and nephew, Mark Roberts, of Indianapolis, IN. She is also survived by niece, Nancy Junker, of Gallup; nephews, Patrick David Junker and Ronald Wolfgang Junker (Zoni), and niece, Yvonne Pineau - all of California. Cecelia is survived by 16 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Cecilia will be dearly missed by all who had the blessing of knowing her. Her wit, zest for life and lively intelligence added immensely to the lives of all who knew and loved her. Rosary will be held Monday, June 15, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. at FRENCH - Rio Rancho. Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, June 16, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at Church of the Incarnation, 2309 Monterrey Rd. NE Rio Rancho, NM. Interment will follow at Santa Fe National Cemetery in Santa Fe, NM. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to any Veterans' Support Group in her name. Please visit our online guestbook for Cecelia at FRENCH - Rio Rancho 1950 Pine Rd NE Rio Rancho, NM 87144 505-338-2000