Memorial Services were held at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at the First United Methodist Church in Clayton with Rev. Jay Jones, pastor, officiating. Services were under the direction of Hass Funeral Directors of Clayton.

Jay was born October 25, 1923 to Ada Estelle and Valentine Dee Leavitt on the Deuce of Hearts Ranch in Lynn County near Tahoka, Texas. He was their only son and the third of four children. After living in Austin, Texas until Jay was 12 years old, the family moved to a farm in Roosevelt County, New Mexico where Jay graduated from Lingo High School in 1941 as Salutatorian of his class. Following graduation, he farmed near his family's home until he was drafted into the army in 1944. He completed basic training in Little Rock, Arkansas, and was deployed overseas as part of the Red Diamond Third Army under General Patton where he was a recipient of the Purple Heart after fighting and being wounded in the Battle of the Bulge near Luxembourg, Belgium. Upon discharge from the Service, Jay worked in Portales, New Mexico before moving to Denver, Colorado where he met his future wife, Rhoda Almquist, at a dance at the YWCA in January of 1951. They were married on March 24th of that year and moved to Clayton, New Mexico that summer. For the next 30 years, Jay built 50 homes in Clayton and the surrounding area before retiring in 1985 and enjoying the ranching life near their home just south of town. Jay was a devoted family man, a builder by trade, and a rancher by heart. He was committed to his church and community. The Sierra Grande Camp Meeting was a joy and a labor of love for him for many years. He was also a talented musician who shared his love of western swing with others by playing his fiddle at family gatherings and for the residents of the Clayton Nursing Home for many years. The associations he made while playing for people and with other musicians were some of his most cherished. In addition to his parents, Jay was preceded in death by a sister; Nita Mae Porter of Clovis, New Mexico.

SURVIVORS:

WIFE: Rhoda Leavitt of Clayton, New Mexico.

2 DAUGHTERS: Daphne Sowers and her husband Larry of Lubbock, Texas and Jill Swagerty and her husband Tom of Clayton, New Mexico.

2 SISTERS: Nona Gay Boyd of Clayton, New Mexico and Ada Fay Bossier of Flagstaff, Arizona.

5 GRANDCHILDREN: Suzanne Driskill and her husband Cory, Kelly Jones and his wife Ronda, Lara Flores and her husband Michael, Joshua Jones and Micah Jones.

5 GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN: Lleyton Flores, Trenton Flores, Ashton Flores, Raley Jones and Laney Driskill.

MEMORIALS: family suggests memorials be made to First United Methodist Church or Union County Hospital in Clayton.