Georgia Mae Fuentes DeBrine, age 90, passed away peacefully from natural causes on June 6, 2025, at her daughter’s home in Elk Ridge, Utah. The 4th of 8 children, Georgia was born in Eagar, Arizona on January 25, 1935, to George Arch Fuentes and Nellie Annie Heath. The family lived around Catron County, New Mexico, mainly in Luna, for her childhood years. She attended school in Apache Creek, Luna and Reserve, New Mexico, graduating from Reserve High School in 1952 as salutatorian. She then went to college at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, New Mexico as one of the first six female students admitted to that school. It was there she met her future husband Bruce Emerson DeBrine, of Rochester, New York.
Bruce and Georgia were married in Socorro on December 4, 1953. Soon after Bruce received his bachelor’s degree from the Tech in 1954, they moved to Ft. Worth, Texas and then Hobbs, New Mexico where he was employed in the oil industry, and then back to Socorro in 1960 where Bruce returned to school, earning a master’s and then a PhD from NMIMT. During these years of Bruce’s employment and schooling they had 6 children, Valorie, Timothy, Anita Karen, Kenton, Karl and Travis. Georgia was first at home with her brood of young children and then found employment at the First State Bank in Socorro, working in various positions over an 11-year period.
After Bruce earned his PhD he accepted a job with the State of Colorado in 1971, and the family moved to Broomfield, Colorado, where they have lived for over 50 years. Here Georgia started her career in the mortgage business working over the years for several banking and mortgage companies, as well as opening her own mortgage servicing company which she operated for many years before retiring.
While in high school, Georgia was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Luna along with her mother and 2 of her younger siblings on July 1, 1950. Over the next six years her father and the rest of her siblings were baptized. She lived a life of serving in the church in the Young Women’s program and helping others in any way possible. She and Bruce served as temple workers in the Denver Colorado Temple for several years.
Georgia was preceded in death by (in order) her older sister, Nellie Annie, who died as an infant, her father, older sister Elsie, mother, younger sister Violet, younger brother Archie, older brother Hugh, son Kenton, husband Bruce, son Timothy, daughter-in-law Cindy, and younger sister Minnie. She is survived by her two daughters Valorie Stoutsenberger (Dennis), Anita Karen Robertson (Russell), two sons Karl (Kanani), Travis (Jeni), daughter-in-law Pamela Holman DeBrine, her youngest brother Floyd Fuentes (Pat), and sister-in-law Lenore Fuentes. She is also survived by 31 grandchildren, 76 great grandchildren, 8 great great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews and a few first cousins.
There will be two funeral services held for Georgia. The first on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at Walker Funeral Home, 187 S Main St, Spanish Fork, Utah with a viewing at 4:30 pm and service at 5:30 pm. The second service will be held on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at Luna, New Mexico, at the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints with a viewing at 11:00 am and service at 12:00 noon. Interment will follow in the Luna Cemetery.
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