This article was submitted by the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico. Louise Trask died in July 2021.

It wasn’t difficult to find a way to honor Louise Trask’s legacy. The seed of inspiration was planted when Louise’s eldest daughter, Melissa Henry, was just five years old. One day Louise took her two little daughters to church. When her pastor asked for her prayer request, Melissa raised her little hand and said, “Please pray for her father to stop beating her mother.”

Fortunately, Melissa’s prayers were answered. Her church community rallied around Louise for assistance and provided her with a transport truck to pack her belongings and gas bills. She ended up in Las Cruces and became a well-known face in the community. After working for several years in sales for the manufactured housing industry, Louise was hired as a mortgage officer at the local credit union. While there, she made it her mission to help others realize her dream of buying a forever home.”She was like a mom to everyone,” says Melissa. I was. “She helped people restore their credit, offering advice like ‘You don’t have to eat a restaurant burrito for lunch every day’ to encourage people to think about saving for their new home.”