Anne Conchetta Giampietro Kiehne 93, of Silver City, New Mexico passed peacefully at home Thursday February 22, 2024. A rosary was held at 10: a.m. and the services were at 11a.m., Friday, March 1, at the Catron County Fairgrounds in Reserve, New Mexico with Father Anthony Dike giving the funeral mass. Burial followed at the cemetery in Middle Frisco (just South of Reserve).

Anne was born on September 28, 1930, in Detroit Michigan, to Pat J. Giampietro and Marguerite Mary Treadwell.

Anne was preceded in death by her parents, her step-father, Stanley Radvillas, and her brother Marden Radvillas.

Anne was married on May 30, 1954, to Max W. (Billy) Kiehne, who preceded her in death on July 19, 2014.

Anne is survived by her five children, Zeno Kiehne of Reserve, New Mexico, Zane Kiehne (wife Tanya) of Pecos, Texas, Travis Kiehne (wife Tammy) of Magdalena, New Mexico, Clell Kiehne (wife Donna) of Silver City, New Mexico and Tita Heinen (husband Bobby) of Farmington, New Mexico. She is also survived by 20 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren, a great, great granddaughter and numerous nephews and nieces.
During the depression, when Anne was one and a half years old her parents divorced. Anne’s mother and grandmother were both working as cooks and were unable to care for her. Anne was taken to a convent orphanage. The nuns were absolutely wonderful to Anne.

Approximately three years later, Anne’s mother took her out of the orphanage. Anne, her mother, now married to Stanley Radvillas, moved to Maine where Anne spent the rest of her childhood living on Islesboro Island with her mother, stepfather and younger brother Marden. They were among the Island’s few year-round residents. Islesboro Island is reached by ferry and is the location of many summer homes for the wealthy. Anne’s mother was a housekeeper and her stepfather was a caretaker, handyman and fisherman.

Anne always wanted a career in medicine. During high school and for a year after graduating, Anne worked as a waitress and sous chef in order to earn enough money to pay for nursing school.

In 1953, Anne graduated as a Registered Nurse from Maine General Hospital School of Nursing in Portland, Maine. Immediately after graduation Anne, then 23 years old, along with a fellow graduate, Barbara Weeks, both wanting to travel and see the world, responded to a help wanted advertisement and accepted jobs in Reserve, New Mexico, thinking they’d work a couple years and return to Maine.

Their bus left Portland on January 31, 1954. A few months after arriving in Reserve, Barbara Weeks married Eddie Atwood and a few months later Anne married Billy Kiehne. Barbara and Anne never moved back to Maine and spent the remainder of their lives living in southwestern, New Mexico.

Anne missed the ocean and fresh sea food but loved New Mexico, its food, its people, her family and the life she made in New Mexico.

Shortly after getting married, Anne’s nursing career was put on hold. Anne and Billy resided 32 miles southeast of Reserve on the Five Bar Ranch, in a home with a wood cook stove and no running water, electricity or telephone.

A trip to town was a rare occasion to stock up on several months of groceries. They started their family and when Zeno reached school age, they bought a house in Reserve and then spent summers and school breaks at the ranch. Although lacking in conveniences, Anne said these years spent at the ranch were some of her happiest.

In the 1970s Anne and Billy built a home a mile south of Reserve on their family farm.
In the mid 1980s Reserve was without a doctor. Although in her mid 50s, Anne wanting to make life better for those around her attended the University of Arizona in Tucson and in 1985 became a certified adult / geriatric Nurse Practitioner.

Anne then worked for Associated Home Health Care and then for the state until 1990 providing health care at the Catron County Medical Clinic in Reserve.

After retiring from the clinic, Anne and Billy moved to Silver City where they owned and operated the Road Runner Mobile Home Park for the rest of their lives.

Anne was a past president of Reserve Women’s Club, Member New Mexico Nurses Association, New Mexico Council Nurse Practitioners, and American Academy Nurse Practitioners.

Anne was a very kind and compassionate person; she loved helping people and regardless of the time of day she’d make house calls to provide medical care.

Anne had lots of affection and love for her children, her grandchildren, her nephews and nieces.

She was very sociable and always happy to set another chair at the table or provide a bed for the many friends and guests her husband and children brought home.

Pallbearers were Marden Radvillas, Randy Chavez, Beau Bruton, Billy Pat Heinen, Lee Kiehne, and Keno Kiehne.

 

Jessica Carranza | Editor