Marilyn Markel is the scheduled speaker for our next Westerners’ meeting. It will be
held on Tuesday, December 11, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. at the Silver City Cross Point Church
Fellowship Hall, located at 11600 Highway 180 East. Come join us for a delicious meal and her presentation on a “Murder on the Mimbres: October 13, 1902” and “Archaeological Excavations Near the Mimbres Culture Heritage Site”. Marilyn tells a unique and fascinating story of facts and truths; so don’t miss this one!
Bio: Marilyn, a native New Mexican and a graduate of the University of New Mexico,
has long had an interest in the history and archaeology of the Southwest. She has had a
career as an educator and teaches archaeology at Aldo Leopold Charter School in Silver
City as part of the Youth Conservation Corps program. She has worked on excavations,
survey projects, and interpretive projects at numerous archaeological sites in New
Mexico and Arizona including many Mimbres sites. She has worked with the Gila
National Forest, the Museum of New Mexico, the National Park Service, the WNMU
Museum, and others. For the past 13 summers, Marilyn has worked with the University
of Nevada Las Vegas field schools on Mimbres area excavations, including work at the
Harris site, and Stewart and Elk Ridge Pueblos. She is the Southwest Chapter
Coordinator for the New Mexico Site Watch site steward program, past president of the
Grant County Archaeological Society (GCAS), and Education Coordinator at the
Mimbres Culture Heritage Site. Marilyn has been the driving force in turning GCAS into
an active, well-respected archaeological society that emphasizes site stewardship and
education and was highly involved in the development of the Mimbres Cultural Heritage
Site, with the Mattocks Ruin, into a respected educational center. Just recently during the
Pecos Archaeology Conference held near Flagstaff Arizona in August, Marilyn Markel
was the recipient of the Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society’s Lex Lindsay
“Unsung Hero” Award. Her efforts in southwestern New Mexico over the past two
decades have made major contributions to understanding the past.
Westerners is an international group dedicated to sharing and preserving the history of the American West. “Westerners was founded in 1944 and has over 60 corrals (or chapters) in the US, and 20 corrals abroad, with over 4,000 members around the globe. Corrals generally meet for camaraderie and interesting programs on all aspects of Western history. Anyone who loves the lore and history of the American West can join. Members range from local history buffs and readers and viewers of Western movies, to professional historians, educators, writers, and artists of all kinds.” Our local chapter meets on the third Tuesday of every other month throughout the year, except for December, when the meeting is held on the second Tuesday. Dinner is served at the meeting, and the cost is $12.00 per person for members and $15 for non-members. The public is invited to attend the meeting, and everyone planning on attending should make reservations with Mary Margaret Soule at 538-2888 on or before Sunday, December 9, 2018.