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Delphine Emma (Maschio) Gruda was born in Sopris, Colorado, on May 8, 1923, and passed away in Muleshoe on October 27, 2018 at the age of 95 years, 5 months and 19 days. She was the daughter of Valentine Maschio and Elizabeth Marie (Zanotelli) Maschio.

As a child Delphine lived in many coal camps, eventually spending the most of those years in Yankee, New Mexico, where her dad and brother, Adolph operated their own coal mine. She eventually met and married Victor Gruda of Starkville, Colorado, in 1941. Victor was in the Army Air Corps, and she followed him to his training bases of Tucson, Arizona, and Great Bend, Kansas. Eventually Delphine and Victor settled in Raton, New Mexico. Their daughter Sharry (Gruda) Jenkins was born there. While living in Raton, Delphine was a clerk at Tony’s Pharmacy. In 1971 her husband Victor was killed by lightning. She stayed in Raton for a while then moved to Portales, New Mexico, to be near her daughter. While in Portales, she worked as a clerk at Portales Drug and B & J Drug, and was an attendant at Happy Wash Laundromat. In 1995, she then moved with her daughter and son-in-law to Muleshoe, Texas. Delphine was always proud to be a “coal miner’s daughter,” and she enjoyed telling stories about living in Yankee Canyon in her early years. She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother Valentino Maschio, another brother, Adolph Maschio, and a sister, Darlene Norma (Maschio) Smith.

Delphine is survived by her daughter Sharry (Gruda) Jenkins and son-in-law David Jenkins from Muleshoe, Texas; a granddaughter Shawna (Jenkins) Stevenson and her husband Jim from Boerne, Texas; a great grandson Jake Stevenson and a great granddaughter Samantha Stevenson, both students at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

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