Clytie Calton Remembered

Clytie Calton died at the age of 91 after injuries received in a natural gas explosion at her home Jan. 23, 2008. Clytie and her husband, George, started Calton Furniture in Portales in 1959, and she continued working at the store until the day of the accident. Despite the death of her husband in 2001 and the sale of the store to son Bill Calton and daughter Sharon Davis over 10 years ago, she continued to work six days a week at the store. When Clytie and George first opened the store she was a stay-at-home mom but the couple soon figured out that the realities of a small furniture business meant they would have to both work, so she went to the store and taught herself to sell furniture. From that time on, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren grew up at the store on First Street. One of Clytie’s granddaughters, Jill McCall, said of the store, “It was like Grand Central Station of the family. If you didn’t have money while you were going to college you could always stop by the furniture store, and they would feed you.” Clytie was a strong supporter of education and Eastern New Mexico University. Her immediate family has received 20 degrees at ENMU and she has encouraged countless others to take advantage of this opportunity. The family suggests donations to the ENMU Foundation, Station 8, Portales, N.M. 88130, 1-888-291-5524.