This is a sad time for the JP Stone Community Bank family. On Tuesday, May 21, D. Barry Stone, Chairman Emeritus, passed away peacefully at the age of 86 with his son Doug and wife Connie by his side.
Barry retired from his Texas law practice after 30 years and joined his baby brother David Stone to expand the bank’s presence to Roswell. D. Barry and his wife Linda relocated to Roswell in 2003 and together with his niece Robin Stone Willingham, the bank’s current President, opened JP Stone’s third branch. D. Barry Stone continued to serve as the bank’s legal counsel and Chairman of the Board until his retirement in December, 2021.
His bank legacy is survived by his son Doug Stone, current Chairman of the Board, and daughter Deanna Stone Waddell, Bank Director. Derek Stone, one of his three grandchildren, continues the family tradition by working in the bank today. Barry was loved and respected by everyone who knew him, and he will truly be missed.
HAPPY TRAILS, MR. STONE!
We are proud to be the oldest family-owned bank in New Mexico and one of the ten oldest in the southwest. Our mission is to help our customers grow and prosper. To that end, we have always avoided engaging in risky business decisions for short-term profit, instead prioritizing long-term security. Because of that, our bank is well capitalized and one of the most liquid banks in the USA!
Feel free to peruse our Financial Statement of Condition: Annual Disclosure Statement (2024)
James Polk Stone came to New Mexico in 1885 and worked with his father on the DZ Ranch. They drove cattle all over the eastern part of the state and even into Texas. James married Lula Beasley in 1897 and the pair moved to Portales in 1900 when the railroad came to Portales. Though many homesteaders moved on, the Stone family decided to stick it out. Their tenacity is a testament to the spirit of the New Mexican people.
James Polk Stone founded the first bank in Roosevelt County in 1902, the Bank of Portales. He later founded the Portales Bank and Trust. The First National Bank at Elida, now the James Polk Stone Community Bank, was established in 1906 and moved to Portales in 1935.
Our bank has been fortunate to have only 6 presidents during its 100+ years. James Polk Stone, 1906–1913; A.A. Beeman, 1913–1929; Graham Bryant, 1929; J.S. Click, 1929–1959; Douglas B. Stone, 1959–1981; and David L. Stone, 1981–present. The bank continues its tradition today and is run with the same strong family values on which it was founded.
In October 2001, the bank expanded to include a branch in Clovis, NM. We’ve been growing ever since and have added branches in Roswell, Hagerman, Hobbs, and Eunice, too. In 2010, the bank came together under one name as the James Polk Stone Community Bank. Since that time, we have been proud to say that the James Polk Stone Community Bank’s Primary Federal Regulator Community Bank is the FDIC.
Want to know more about our history? Read the full story by David L. Stone!
Board of Directors
Mrs. Robin Willingham
President / CEO / Director
Mr. Douglas B. Stone, II
Chairman / Executive Vice President / Director
Mr. Richard Bradfute
Executive Vice President / CIO / Director
Mrs. Linda Davis
Executive Vice President / Cashier / Director
Mr. David L. Stone, II
Director
Mr. Robbie Roberts
Director
Mrs. Terri French
Director
Mr. Kurt Gass
Director
Mr. Craig Reeves
Director
Mrs. Deanna Waddell
Advisory Director
Mrs. Deborah Ingraham
Advisory Director
Mrs. Cassidy Self
Advisory Director