Barbara S Herrera

Barbara S. Herrera, 68, of Alcalde, New Mexico, went to her heavenly home on June 12, 2025. She was born on September 10, 1956, in Fruita, Colorado, to Tito and Mary Valdez.

Barbara was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and daughter whose love for family guided every step of her life. She shared a beautiful marriage of 52 years with her beloved husband, Lino F. Herrera Sr., and together they built a life rooted in love, faith, and family. She found great joy in spending time with her grandchildren and was a steady presence of warmth, wisdom, and strength to all who knew her.

Barbara spent most of her career as a security specialist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, retiring after many years of dedicated service.

She loved to travel—whether camping with family, exploring national parks in her motorhome with her husband Lino, or cruising the seas. She enjoyed taking spontaneous trips and spending time with her grandchildren and enjoyed traveling abroad with Lino, sometimes bringing the grandkids along.

Family was Barbara’s greatest joy. She shared a special bond with all her grandchildren. She proudly taught her grandchildren to crochet with care and discipline and was known to bless her loved ones homes with homemade treats like cupcakes, apple pie, panocha, or her famous biscochitos.

Barbara was deeply devoted to her community, serving as a eucharistic minister, usher, Altar Society supervisor, and volunteer for Search and Rescue, the Soup Kitchen, and Presbyterian Hospital in Española.

To her family, Barbara was a pillar of strength, faith, and love. She was always there when needed, and her home was the heart of every holiday, filled with her delicious cooking and warm hospitality. She was truly one of a kind.

She is survived by her husband, Lino F. Herrera Sr.; her daughter, Valerie Archuleta (Leroy Archuleta); her son, Lino Herrera Jr. (Elisha Herrera); and her cherished grandchildren: Alexandria Archuleta, Daniel Archuleta, Lino Herrera III, Faith Herrera, and Andres Herrera. She is also survived by her brother, Jose Valdez, and his partner Frances Archuleta.

Barbara’s life will be celebrated in a rosary on Thursday, June 19, 2025 at 6:00held at DeVargas Funeral Home; Espanola, NM. A rosary will be held at 10:15 am and mass to follow at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Alcalde, NM on Friday, June 20, 2025. She will be laid to rest at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Cemetery in Velarde, NM.

Serving as pallbearers are Daniel Archuleta, Leroy Archuleta, Ross Garcia, Leon Martinez, Emilio Valdez and Fabian Valdez. Honorary pallbearers are Andres Herrera, Faith Herrera, Lino Herrera III, Adelina Valdez and Amalia Valdez.