Alta Fay Riddles Pearce, seventy-six, passed away Wednesday, October 18, 2006, at her home in Artesia, New Mexico. She was born February 14, 1930, in Ryan, Oklahoma, to Willie Riddles and Ella McGregor Riddles. She moved to Odessa, Texas in 1952. From 1956 until her retirement in 1992, Alta was a cosmotologist. She was a popular instructor at Odessa Beauty College. She owned and operated Western Manor and Charmette Beauty Shops in Odessa. She moved from Odessa to Dallas when she became district manager for Aladdin Beauty Colleges. She moved to Artesia, New Mexico in 1992, when she married Jim Pearce.

Survivors include: her husband, Jim Pearce, of the home in Artesia, NM; daughters - Pam Stone Evans and her husband Don of Celeste, TX,and Janice Stone Alexander and her husband Keith of Spring, TX; grandchildren - Jason Evans and his wife Angie of Sulphur Springs, TX, Kristi Alexander Smith and her husband Adam of Plano, TX, Kandi Alexander Allen, and Trey Alexander of Casper, WY; six great-grandchildren; a brother; and a sister.

Graveside services were held for Mrs. Pearce at 1:00 PM, Saturday, October 21, 2006, at the Ryan Cemetery in Ryan, Oklahoma, under the direction of Dudley Funeral Home of Ryan.