Ralph Dunlap

Ralph Ray Dunlap was born on February 5, 1927 to E. T. and Beulah Dunlap in Melrose, New Mexico. He married Rosalie Chaulk Dunlap in Lordsburg February 9, 1947. Survived by Rosalie his wife of 65 years, son Wayne Dunlap and daughter Lois Coleman (David); five Grand children Patricia Pastrano (Jerry), Scott Coleman, Daniel Coleman (Danielle), Douglas and Bryan Dunlap, two Great Grandchildren Tristan Pastrano and Jarrett Coleman, one brother Kenneth Dunlap (Carol) of Wilcox, Arizona. Ralph served in the Army Air Corp from 1944 to 1946. He was stationed near Kyoto after the atomic bomb was dropped. Ralph received his Masters degree in AG Ed from New Mexico State University in 1966. Ralph and Rosalie lived for most of their life in Lincoln County. Ralph was active in many things but loved to give credit to those he worked with. He served as Extension Agent for Lincoln County from 1950 to 1982 when he retired. He then spent 2 years overseas as a sheep adviser in Tunisia. He was elected Lincoln County Commissioner, President of the Lincoln County Fair Board of Directors, President of the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Foundation Board, Masons and many other county and state committees. Ralph was active on the Lincoln Water District Board, the Last Escape of Billy the Kid Pageant, the Lincoln Preservation Board and many other boards and committees. He was well known by many members of 4-H, ranchers, farmers, apple growers and the wool growers in Lincoln County and across the state. He enjoyed woodworking, spinning and weaving wool in his later years. Ralph hand turned many spinning wheels and was active in the wood turners group. He was instrumental in starting Sheep to Shawl as a way to raise awareness of the properties of wool. He was happy keeping busy whether it was helping someone, building houses and most of all he enjoyed talking to the many visitors who stopped by the shop in Lincoln. He won many distinguished awards but the most prized were all the friends he made through the years. The wealth of knowledge Ralph had at his fingertips will be sorely missed by his friends and those who want to know how things were done in Lincoln in the "old days". Memorial services will be at the New Mexico Farmers Ranch Heritage Museum, at 2:00 pm, March 25, 2012.