Maria Olivia Payne

Maria Olivia Payne, age 83 of Salida, went to be with the Lord on January 2, 2023 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, CO. She passed away peacefully surrounded by her children. Maria was born on July 26, 1939 in El Rito, New Mexico to Antonio Amarante and Maria Lugardita (Avila) Gonzales. Her parents later moved and resided in Salida. She attended El Rito High School when living with her grandmother Maria Eufemia Avila, and graduated from El Rito High School in 1958. When she was married she traveled and lived in multiple states - Texas, New Mexico, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Idaho and then back to Colorado where she resided for many years. During Maria’s working career she was a housekeeper, caregiver and motel manager. Those that knew Maria will always remember her being a great cook, her family especially loved her posole, beans, and green chile. She enjoyed fishing, playing board games especially scrabble where it was almost impossible to beat her, and a quick study at completing word search puzzles. She was an avid reader, loved traveling to visit her children and grandchildren, enjoyed going to the nearest casino to try her luck at the slots and liked watching her soap operas. Maria was survived by her six children, Becky (Fred) Roybal of Grand Junction, CO, Paul (Brandy) Herrera of Las Vegas, NV, Rosalie (Kevin) Pinney of Phoenix, AZ, Olivia Herrera of Longmont, CO, Bertha (Eddie) Martinez of Firestone, CO, Travis (Tanya) Payne of Grand Junction, CO. She much-loved her 15 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren, and has many other loving relatives and close friends. She was dearly loved and will be greatly missed by those that knew her. Maria was preceded in death by her parents Antonio and Lugardita Gonzales, her brother Jose ‘George’ Gonzales, and husbands Jose I. Herrera, Martie J. Payne and longtime companion Harold A. Coffman. A funeral service celebrating her life to be held on Saturday, January 14 at 1:00 p.m. at the Lewis and Glenn Funeral Home in Salida. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery, and a luncheon will be provided at the LDS Church following the graveside service. On line condolences may be sent to the family at lewisandglenn.com. Arrangements are with Lewis and Glenn Funeral Home.

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