Delores Fincham

Delores Jean Travelute was born July 29th, 1926 in her home outside of Waterville, Kansas. Her parents, Leonard and Wilma Travelute, were farmers and raised quarter horses. She had one brother, Allen. She did not go to school until she was 7 years old as she had to walk across fields and pastures on her own and they felt she was too little. She walked to school through snow drifts, pastures with angry bulls, and you name it, but she made it. She had chores to do when she got home. Riding bare back on her pony, Old Joe, was her greatest pleasure.

After her first eight years of school, she wanted to go to high school and possibly on to college. Her father did not approve, as she was a girl, and it was not necessary for further schooling. She was allowed to go if she went on her own, so she walked again to catch a ride to high school in town and later for a ride to K-State to get a teaching certificate. She taught school in the same one room schoolhouse that she went to school in herself.

Delores married Leonard Fincham and together they farmed two farms, raised livestock and milked 19 cows, morning and night every day. Delores ran tractors in the field, took grain to the elevator in town, served hired hands meals in the field, killing and dressing her own chickens for dinner. She loved to tell people that she was a Kansas farm girl. They had two children, Evelyn Jean and Lowell Eugene and were a close-knit family.

Delores developed severe allergies, and the family was forced to move to a drier climate. They settled in Albuquerque and started several businesses. Delores was at Leonard's side to make these businesses successful including doing the bookkeeping for the businesses. Leonard and Delores celebrated almost 70 years of happy marriage. Len passed away nine years ago.

Delores's family grew, with four grandchildren and later eight great grandchildren. Her life revolved around family and always being busy. She never knew what it was like to sit. Her motto was to be happy, and she baked and grew flowers and played with her grandchildren and great grandchildren and shopped and enjoyed life. Delores was very proud of being able to live alone and looking forward to her 99th birthday, only one month away from her death. 

It was a life well lived.

Delores is survived by her two children, Evelyn Christy (Stephen) of Edgewood and Lowell Fincham of Albuquerque. Four grandchildren, Shawnah Anderson (TJ), Krystah Fincham of Las Cruces, Jamey Christy of Albuquerque, and Alyssa Kolski (Jeff) of Albuquerque. Great grandchildren are: Kenedi, Kandis, Kooper Anderson, Bennett, Perrin, and Mabelle Kolski, and Austyn and Presley Kurtz.