Today we attended a lecture about an amazing local historical figure named Maude Medders. This was an interesting topic for our family because there is a place on the ranch called Medders place. This belonged to the Medders family until 1942 when David’s grandfather Von Cain purchased it.

Maude Medders is famous for being abducted by Pancho Villa and his bandits. They stole Maude and her first husband, Ed Wright’s ranch and cattle. The banditos killed her husband and she was forced to leave her two year old son Johnny behind. The ordeal lasted for nine days. Micheal Hays did a wonderful job taking us through those nine days of her captivity.

She was known as a horse woman and even took care of Pancho Villa’s remuda when he organized his raid on Columbus, New Mexico in March of 1916. When the raid was over she asked Pancho Villa’s permission to leave. He only asked what direction. She replied Norte and was allowed to head out.

She eventually married Will Medders and settled outside of Mountainair, in the little house we call the Medders place. After the presentation we gained a ton more interesting information from Maude’s grandson Bill Luther. His mother was Ruth Medders. David has known Bill for a very long time but never knew Bill was Maude’s grandson. He told us Maude had 8 kids one of which is still living. (Johnny,Pearl, Ruth, Bill, Harold, Lulu are the ones I can remember!). Maude’s son Harold Medders was a great friend of the Cain family. David has tons of memories from his childhood involving Harold!

Bill told us that Maude was named Maude S, after her parents best mule. We learned Harold and Bill Luther married sisters. We also learned that Betty Lovato was Pearl Medders daughter. All people that mean very little to most of you reading this but I needed to write it down so I could recall it at some future date!

Maude’s motto was complaining doesn’t paint a pretty picture.

We painted a beautiful picture with the rest of our day as we saddled up and rode our horses. We went and showed the kids where Harold had told us there once was a full size baseball diamond. No complaining here.