Kenneth L. Poindexter, Sr., 80, a longtime Otero County resident, passed away June 21 at his home in Alamogordo after a long battle with lung cancer. Ken was born in 1928 in Portales, NM. A child of the Great Depression, he was a member of a large family that lived a happy life of hard work and determination without excesses. As was common during those hard years, the family moved many times, first to northern New Mexico, then south to Lincoln County, finally settling west of Capitan. Ken was a 1948 graduate of Capitan Union High School. Ken came to Alamogordo in 1950, married Novella Myers, and in 1953 had his first child, Kenny Poindexter, Jr. He worked as a construction foreman, mechanic, and ran the Gulf Service Station at "the Y" in Tularosa during that time. In 1963, he married LaDonna Lockhart, and they remained married until his death. Ken and LaDonna had 4 children: Richard, Kyle, and the twins Kinnette and Linnette. Ken continued to work on many diverse construction projects, among them the US Forest Service Ranger Station in Magdalena, NM, structures at the National Solar Observatories and research station at Sunspot, NM, and many structures on the White Sands Missile Range and Holloman AFB. Ken was a member of the U.S. Forest Service Mounted Patrol, was a city mailman for the U.S. Postal Service for many years in Tularosa, and ultimately became a mail route contractor, delivering mail to the rural areas around Tularosa for the last 25 years. Ken was a farmer and rancher, growing alfalfa and winter wheat, and raising hogs, feeder cattle, and chickens in the 1970's and 1980's. He was also a talented handyman, carpenter and builder; his constructions can be found all over Otero County, everything from simple wooden crafts and furniture, to carports, backyard decks, and remodeling entire houses. Ken lived a life of hard work, and was a dedicated husband, father, and provider. He went out of his way to help others when necessary, and he will be sorely missed. Ken is survived by 9 of his brothers and sisters, his wife of nearly 46 years LaDonna Lockhart Poindexter of Alamogordo, his 5 children, Kenny Poindexter Jr. of Roswell, Richard Poindexter of Alamogordo, Kyle Poindexter of Dallas, TX, Kinnette Poindexter Maynard of Tucson, AZ, and Linnette Poindexter of Tampa, FL. Ken also had 6 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren.