The miniature displays at MCCM include full houses, room boxes, antique and vintage doll houses and furniture, themed vignettes, contemporary miniatures, seasonal miniatures, and a touch-screen video showing miniature-related videos. Below are some of the makers with their creations, stories behind the displays, and details to entice you to come visit!

Adna LaVerne Saylor Smith (1929-2016) was born in Clovis, New Mexico, attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, where she met Rex Smith (who was also from Clovis) and the two were married in 1949. Loyd Rex Smith (1928-2017) died just six months after LaVerne – the two had been married 67 years! He received a business degree from Hardin Simmons.

In 1959, LaVerne and Rex moved to Roswell and founded the Colony House, a Roswell landmark for more than 50 years. There, LaVerne served many clients with her interior design skills. Many of her clients returned to LaVerne for decorating assistance, even after moving away from Roswell.

LaVerne loved dollhouses and miniatures. She was one of the founders of Los Pocos Locos, a local miniatures club, where she was known for always being available to help other members with their miniature design problems. One of LaVerne’s joys was having an adobe dollhouse which she designed and furnished and which became the subject of a book, authored by MaryLou Smith, and published by New Mexico Magazine—Grandmother’s Adobe Dollhouse.

An active members of First Baptist Church, LaVerne and Rex helped restore and re-purpose the stained glass windows that had been stored away when the church moved to its new building. Well-known as a local business woman, LaVerne was the first woman to serve on the board of directors of Security National Bank of Roswell. She was also a member of PEO, Morning Garden Club, and Junior Book Club. Rex loved his dogs, buying and selling antiques, and growing houseplants on his patio.

Florine Newberg Hopkins Matthews, “Flo”, (1927-2020), was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, and in different segments of her life lived in Lovington, NM; Los Angeles, CA; Ventura, CA; and Pottsboro, TX, eventually moving to Roswell in 1982.

With a secondary education degree from Eastern New Mexico University-Portales and master degree classes in guidance and counseling, Flo’s career included working as a medical office manager, teaching high school English, implementing and managing vocational-technical program, and her last employment before retiring was managing a home owner’s association office.  

Flo had numerous skills and interests including sewing, baking/cooking, painting, photography, genealogy, golf, silversmithing, framing, piano, beading….and miniatures! She was an active member and officer of the Los Pocos Locos Miniature Club for many years and her fondness for molding, painting, wigging and dressing 1:12” scale dolls lead to many successful projects including her Gone With the Wind character dolls.

Flo’s affiliations included being a founding member of the Wilson-Cobbb History and Genealogy Library in Roswell, a member of the Rac-a-taps Dance Team – she could tap dance well into her ‘90s!-, and a founding board member of MCCM.