101 Years of Faith: Leonides Montoya’s Story

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – At 101 years old, Leonides Montoya is believed to be one of the oldest living members of the Texico Conference and possibly its longest-tenured Seventh-day Adventist. Her remarkable life of faith, endurance and service continues to inspire generations across the Southwest.

Born in Albuquerque on Nov. 11, 1923, Montoya remains mentally sharp and in good health. She still attends services regularly at Albuquerque Rio Grande Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church and occasionally visits other local congregations such as Albuquerque North Valley Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church and Albuquerque Metropolitan Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church, where she is warmly received and dearly loved.

Montoya was born into a Catholic family and followed its traditions, including baptism, confirmation and first communion. During her childhood, her family relocated to the small mountain village of Manzano. Though she loved school, she left after eighth grade to help her mother care for their large family.

In 1943, she married and began her own family in the nearby village of Punta de Agua. Her first child, a son, was born in April 1944. That November, tragedy struck—her husband fell ill and passed away. Just 21 years old, Montoya found herself a young widow with an infant and another baby on the way. She moved to Santa Fe to be with her mother, and in May 1945, welcomed her second son.

For the next three years, she lived in a household that included her mother, grandparents and three brothers. In the late 1940s, Ray Archuleta, pastor of the Albuquerque Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church (the first Adventist Hispanic church in New Mexico) began a tent revival in Santa Fe, not far from Montoya’s home. Out of curiosity, Montoya, along with her mother and grandparents, began attending. All but her grandfather eventually accepted the message and joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The growing congregation built a church building at Mountain Road and Sixth Street. One of the members who helped with the construction was Florencio Montoya, a widower with four children. After Archuleta introduced them, Leonides and Florencio married in a ceremony following a prayer meeting. The Montoya’s went on to have four more children together.

The newly blended Montoya family became part of the thriving Spanish church in Albuquerque. That small church was filled with talent: musicians, teachers and dedicated lay members. For a time, the church produced a weekly CBS radio broadcast called “Los Heraldos de la Mañana,” featuring church members in song, message and local news.

A cherished tradition during those years was the annual camp meeting at Sandia View Academy in Corrales. These gatherings helped forge lifelong friendships with fellow believers from across the region. These visits were joyful times for the Montoya children, who played with the Chacón, Martinez and Gurule children—families whose elders have mostly passed, with Montoya now one of the few remaining.

As the years passed and new churches were established in Albuquerque, members of the original church scattered. Martinez and her husband eventually helped build and joined the Rio Grande congregation, where she remains a regular member to this day. Despite her advanced age, Martinez continues to attend services regularly. Her presence brings joy to others, and her faith, commitment and wisdom are a treasured blessing to all.

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