LOFTIN, Pearl *

The Eastern Arizona Courier, Safford, Arizona ~ April 26, 2014 Pearl Nelson Loftin passed away peacefully in Phoenix, April 7, 2014. She was 105 years old. She was born Nov. 22, 1908, in Colonia Pacheco, Chihuahua, Mexico, the 10th of 11 children born to Hyrum Nelson and Martha Sanders Nelson. 
At age 3, she left Mexico with her family and hundreds of other Americans who fled the revolution and threat from Pancho Villa. After several days in a refugee camp in El Paso, Texas, the family arrived in Thatcher.
 Pearl was the last living person who attended the new Thatcher Elementary School the year it opened in 1917. That building was recently demolished. She also attended Gila Academy, now Eastern Arizona College.
In the 1920s, she was one of the first employees of Tri-State Dental Supply Co. (now Patterson Dental Supply) in Phoenix. During this time, she met Conner Loftin. They were married July 3, 1931. She helped him become a very successful Phoenix businessman, after working and living in Idaho, Seattle, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Calif., and finally Phoenix, where they owned a citrus grove and then a dairy. Conner established Loftins Business Forms Co., which he guided to great success. Pearl was preceded in death by her husband of more than 75 years, Conner, and their only child, Charles Ray (Chuck) Loftin. Survivors include daughter-in-law, Kathleen K. Loftin, of Phoenix; grandson, Mark Loftin (Nancy), of Phoenix; granddaughter, Cindy Jacobs (Mike), of Boise, Idaho; great-grandchildren, Charles Loftin (Rachel), Mark Jacobs (Brooke), Andrew Tray Jacobs (Rosa) and David Jacobs (Hannah). Pearl was so delighted to welcome a fifth generation as three great-great-granddaughters and a great-great-grandson arrived. Local survivors include nephews Dr. Bruce Curtis, Dr. Kay Curtis, Phil Curtis and Gary Curtis. A memorial service was held in Phoenix on April 12 and interment in the Thatcher Cemetery beside her husband and parents on April 14, 2014. Also in the Thatcher Cemetery are three sisters: Eunice Curtis, Sarah Hales and Verda Martin; two brothers, David and George Nelson, and their parents, Hyrum and Martha Nelson.