Melvin Polk

Lloyd Polk, 83, of Artesia, NM, passed away in his home on August 29th, 2020. He was born on March 4th, 1937 to B.G. and Lucy Polk in Alice, Texas before the family moved to Portales to start a dairy farm. There, Lloyd spent his childhood and later graduated from Portales High School in 1955. In Portales he met his future wife as she attended college at ENMU, and then on August 26th, 1956 he married the love of his life, Yvonne Dew in Artesia, New Mexico.

After marrying, Lloyd and Yvonne lived in Portales and Clovis before settling in Artesia in 1958. Lloyd held various jobs from running a bread truck in Portales, to working at Midwest Auto in Artesia before landing a job at the Conoco Refinery (Navajo) where he spent 39 years, retiring in 1999. During those years Lloyd and Yvonne raised 3 children, Mel being born in 1957, Bill in 1959, Jerrie in 1963.

Lloyd was an active member of First Baptist Church for 62 years and held many roles throughout the church. After retirement, not being able to remain idle, he began donating his time and expertise to Habitat for Humanity, where he was a member of the organization board. He along with Leo Pennington and Jimmy Boyce organized the first chapter of Disaster Relief for the Southern Baptist Convention of New Mexico. He also volunteered to rewire the County Fairgrounds when it was needed, spending numerous hours working to make it up to par before the fair started that July. He took joy in making homemade ice cream and inviting the family over to watch the grandkids swing from the pecan tree in the backyard. He was an avid gardener and took pride in his tomato and squash plants. He stayed active by going on morning walks nearly everyday and racked up hundreds of miles on the sidewalks throughout Artesia.

Lloyd is preceded in death by his parents and son Mel.

He is survived by his wife Yvonne Polk, son Bill Polk and wife Cindy, daughter Jerrie Lee and husband Troy, sister Wadene Brown, brother Dick Polk, brother Shelby Polk, 5 grandkids, Dustin Polk and wife Sara, Brandi Barnes and husband Wade, Jimmy Darnell and wife Merrily, Joshua Darnell and wife Megan, Jonathan Darnell and fiance Faith McKinney, 3 great grandkids, Ayden, Tinsey, and Karter.

Lloyd will always be remembered as a man of faith, a giving resident of Artesia, and a loving husband, father, and grandfather.

Services will be held on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020, at First Baptist Church at 10 A.M. Paul Trone will be officiating with grandsons, Dustin, Ayden, Wade, Jimmy, Josh, and Jonathan serving as pallbearers.