She was baptized here.
Nearly 65 years ago, the church had been the center of town. Well, if you could call it a town. The population topped out around 350.
Margaret had been born here just before the end of the second world war. She grew up with visitors passing through town on the trains or the Route 66 road.
Shortly before completing her last year of school, a recruiter came through. Margaret was working the counter at the gas station. When the recruiter stopped for a fill up, he asked her about going to college. Margaret was tickled by this new idea. She never thought about something so prestigious and out-of-reach.
Margaret went away to a college in Flagstaff, AZ to learn to be a teacher. While many students were starting to protest another war, Margaret kept her head down and her nose in her books.
Soon after graduation, Margaret felt the call to help the people of her town and she returned to be one of only 2 teachers.
She was grateful as she watched the years pass and saw many of her students inspired to go on to bigger and better things. Sure, a few stayed, but the town dwindled in size.
When Margaret decided to retire, it was partly her age but mostly that there were no students left to teach. They had all moved on.
She had been baptized here and now her family, friends, and many generations of past students gather to lay her to rest here as well.
The History
This is the Catholic Church located in #CuervoNM. Cuervo is one of the last great ghost towns in the country. It was never large, topping out at just over 3 digits population, and it could not survive the new bustle that the I-40 freeway brought right through the middle of town. Because this place is so accessible, there are many stories and images online. I encourage you to check out some of the history for yourself.