Koie Jorgensen/McCauley

KOIE JORGENSEN/MCCAULEY (MAMA J), Koie was born on April 3, 1931 and passed away on Sunday, August 23, 2015 at Sombrillo Nursing Home in Los Alamos with her family by her side. She moved to the Española Valley at age 2, where she spent her childhood. She then married Howie Hughes and they had a daughter named Arita Dean Hughes. Howie was killed in a trucking accident leaving mom a single mother of a toddler. She met Howard (Jorgy) Jorgensen and married in 1954. They had a son in 1956, Michael C. Jorgensen (Jorgy). Together they started a business called Rocky Mountain Garage Inc. and it grew into a great business called Jorgensens Welding and Repair, where she became the “Boss”. She ran the shop for over 40 years before retiring. She was one of Santa Fe’s Top 10 that made a difference in 1995 for her volunteer work with Salvation Army, United Way, St. Elizabeth’s Shelter and Casa Rael Nursing Home. She was a life time member of Quota Club International which she joined in 1971. She was also a member of St. Johns Methodist Church in Santa Fe. She fought a courageous battle of Dementia and Alzheimer’s for the last years of her life. She was preceded in death by her parents, Floyd and Nancy Parks; mother and father-in-law, Oliff and Elizabeth Jorgensen; daughter, Arita Dean Hughes; husbands, Howie Hughes and Howard “Jorgy” Jorgensen and John P. McCauley; siblings, Veral Dean Parks, Dorothy (Sis) and Orval Henry, Lloyd and Wanda Parks, Rita and Bob Yates, and other nieces and nephews. Mom is survived by her son, Mike “Jorgy” and Florence Jorgensen; grandson, Harley and Lupita Jorgensen, great-granddaughters, Ariana, Briana and Ciana Jorgensen; step-grandchildren who she loved like her own, Melissa and Rick Padilla, Gerald Joe and John Grimley, great-step-grandkids, Luke and Katelyn Padilla, Madison Grimley and Aalayah Grimley. Mom will be deeply missed by all of her relatives, friends and all who knew her. Mom it was time for you to rest, you worked so hard all your life, so rest in peace in Heaven. You are now one of the Angels you loved so much. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in the Sangre de Cristo Chapel of DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory, with a burial to follow at 1:30 p.m. at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. Serving the family as pallbearers are Ottis Yates, Joseph Sanchez, John Grimley, Pablo Sanchez, David Huckelbee, and Chacho Taylor. The Family of Koie Jorgensen/McCauley (Mama J) has entrusted the care of their loved one to the DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the Española Valley. 505-747-7477 – www.devargasfuneral.com

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