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Velma Fanning

Posted 2009-03-06 by Judy Wight Branson
The Verde Independent, Cottonwood, Arizona
Thursday, April 5, 2007

Velma Fanning, 88, died March 30, 2007. She was born in Hope, N.M., Sept. 21, 1918.

She moved to Arizona in a covered wagon with her family at age 5. She was making biscuits at age 6 for hired hands at the family ranch behind the Peaks. She attended grade school at Kendrick Park. She moved to town and worked so she could go to high school.

After high school she married Roy Fanning. While raising a family, she worked at a variety of local businesses. Roy and Velma built and worked their own business, Ponderosa Trailer Park, Market and Laundromat in Flagstaff. For the past 25 years she worked for her sister at Mtn. View Market. She was very well known at all the Sheriff's Posse functions as well as the Elks Club.

She was known as "Granny" to hundreds of kids and adults and loved everyone she met. Fanning Drive was named in honor of Velma and Roy. She was a regular on every field and flew with the NAU Football Team. Last year she went to Washington, D.C., to see her grandson graduate from the FBI Academy and had a tour of the White House.

She leaves behind her children: Wilma Smith, Robert (Karen) Fanning and Lila (Dave) Pierce; sisters Dorothy (Duwaine) Jones and Lola (Billy Bob) Lane; seven grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and one more great-grandson and great-great-grandchild on the way.

The family invites you to attend the memorial service on Friday, April 6, at the Elks Lodge in Flagstaff at noon. Pastor John Summers and John Deegan will be officiating this celebration of life. Please come prepared to share a special memory of Velma. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her memory to Arizona Central Credit Union, 1921 N. West St., (see Marcia). Donations to be used to support youth groups in the Flagstaff area.

Condolences can be sent to the family at www.norvelowensmortuary.com.





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