Incoming DACHS president Jon Hunner (left) presents Buddy Ritter with the Pasajero Del Camino Real Award for his book Mesilla Comes Alive: A History of Mesilla and its Valley.

Doyle Piland (left) receives the Hall of Fame Award from Jon Hunner.

Frank Parrish (left) receives the Heritage Award from Jon Hunner.

Bill Childress, District Manager for the Bureau of Land Management, (left) accepts the Old Timers Award from Jon Hunner for the Prehistoric Trackways National Monumnet.

Beth O'Leary (left) accepts the Noteworthy Renovation Award from Jon Hunner on behalf of all the volunteers who worked so diligently to repair and bring the Philllips Chapel back to life. Also commenting on the work were Sandy Marshall and David Chavez.  The project took years to complete. In 2003, the chapel was listed on the State Register of Cultural Properties and the Ntaional Register of Historic Places.

Once the award for Noteworthy Renovation was accepted by the people who did the work on Phillips Chapel, they turned around and presented the plaque to representatives of Clarence Fielder's family, left to right - Caeland Mosley, William Gooden, Jovonne Gooden and Marcia Boyer.  Clarence's grandparents, Daniel and Ollie Berry Hibler were the founders of Phillips Chapel Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in 1911. Clarence died in 2015 - he was the heart of the chapel's renovation. See more about Mr. Fielder in the 2016 Southern New Mexico Historical Review.

The Nestor Armijo House was recognized as a Building Worthy of Preservation & a Building with Historical Significance. The Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce is rehabilitating the house but could send no one to accept the plaque.  Jon Hunner accepted on their behalf.

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Buddy Ritter gave a talk after lunch about growing up in Mesilla and some of the new historical information he uncovered in researching his book.

Kimberly Miller was installed as the new vice president for the DACHS.

Sally Kading was recogized as the new historian for the DACHS.

Jon Hunner, the new DACHS president, is between two past presidents - Marcie Palmer (left) and Susan Krueger, the immediate past "el jefe."

DACHS board member Bob Gamboa explains to the group that Cal Traylor's reference materials have been digitized with the originals going to UTEP. He said there is a small group working with the materials to turn it into a couple of books.

Karl and Toni Laumbach were two of the luncheon attendees.

The awards luncheon was held in the elegant main dining room in the Double Eagle, a building rich in local history.

  

In addition, Sara Wagner and George Helfrich were reinstated as members of the DACHS board of directors.