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LORDSBURG 鈥� The first woman to serve as mayor of this city near New Mexico鈥檚 Bootheel gazes down over the public gallery in the council chambers through an oil portrait that commands the room.

Betty Lazar is shown seated in a pink ball gown, hands crossed on her lap with a diamond ring on her left hand, looking directly yet dispassionately at the viewer with striking gray-blue eyes, her left eyebrow slightly arched.

Lazar served as mayor from 1970 to 1972. After she left city hall, 50 years would pass before another woman 鈥� Glenda Greene 鈥� took the office. Lordsburg, a city of 2,000 people, is the seat of Hidalgo County in New Mexico鈥檚 southwest corner.

Earlier this year, the painting briefly disappeared, prompting concern among older residents, an investigation initiated by City Hall and a visit by state police to the home of a retired district judge.

In April, the painting was restored undamaged, adding a new chapter to the story of the remarkable painting of a forgotten pioneer among female leaders in New Mexico.

Betty Harding Lazar was a 20th-century businesswoman and civic leader in Lordsburg. She was born in Ashland City, Tennessee, in 1913, according to an obituary. Local historical accounts report that she moved to Lordsburg in the 1930s and managed a hotel. She was also active in the local Chamber of Commerce and library board in addition to her time as mayor.

Lazar died in Truth or Consequences in 2011 at age 97 and was buried in Lordsburg鈥檚 Mountain View cemetery.

The portrait was painted in 1943 by an Italian prisoner of war held at a camp originally built as an internment camp for Japanese people outside Lordsburg during World War II. Its population peaked at about 1,500 detainees before they were dispersed to other locations and Italian and German prisoners of war were housed there.

Lazar reportedly visited the camp and interacted with some prisoners, including an artist and teacher from Milan who painted her portrait, for which she sat and posed under armed guard. The artist signed the painting as Aldo DaMilano (鈥淎ldo from Milan鈥�).

In 2024 or 2025 鈥� it鈥檚 not clear exactly when 鈥� Greene removed the painting from the chamber鈥檚 wall because the roof over it was leaking. Water damage is still visible in ceiling tiles over the area and city employees verified Greene鈥檚 explanation. The painting was stored in an interior meeting room for 12 to 16 months.

As Greene recalled in an interview, the painting was missed by older residents and one prominent citizen in particular. Manuel Saucedo, 90, is an attorney who served as a state district judge from 1985 to 1996 and has served on the City Council through last year. He lost a bid for another term in November鈥檚 election.

Greene said Saucedo had represented Lazar鈥檚 estate when Lazar鈥檚 family donated the painting to the city. A plaque accompanying the painting memorializes the gift. Greene attributed the delay to the legal procurement process for fixing the roof, and said Saucedo grew increasingly upset about the painting鈥檚 absence.

鈥淓very time he would go in that meeting room, he鈥檇 get madder and madder that we hadn鈥檛 hung it up,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 kept telling him, 鈥楪ive me time, we have to get bids on this roof,鈥� and finally he just said, 鈥榊ou know what, I want the painting back.鈥欌��

Reached by phone, Saucedo declined to discuss the painting and ended the call.

Like Saucedo, Greene was defeated for another term in the local elections in November. By a margin of 67 votes, council member Martin Neave was elected mayor.

Sometime during the transition, Greene said she arranged for the painting to be handed over to Saucedo based on his statement that he owned it and had loaned it to the city, and she did not think about it again until April 15, when she was contacted by New Mexico State Police looking for the painting.

Neave took office in January and eventually noticed that the painting was no longer sitting in the meeting room.

鈥淲ord got around rather quickly that it was missing,鈥� Neave told the Journal. 鈥淎 lot of the elderly people came to me, one of them with tears in his eyes when he asked me if we would be able to recover that painting.鈥�

On April 14, Neave reported the painting, valued at $3,800, as stolen.

The police report states that Neave showed officers the minutes of the City Council鈥檚 meeting on Sept. 17, 2009, documenting a resolution that the Lazar portrait was a gift to the city and could not be removed from City Hall without the family鈥檚 permission in writing. The city has not made those minutes available to the Journal. 

Saucedo told state police that the painting had been loaned to him on a verbal agreement, but returned the portrait after state police informed him of the recorded minutes, according to the report.

The painting was returned to City Hall on April 15, and the police report states that Neave wanted to press charges.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe there was any misunderstanding whatsoever,鈥� Neave said. In his report to state police, Neave stated the painting鈥檚 removal occurred outside of regular business hours and was not recorded on security cameras. He sought to press charges, but police reported that District Attorney Norman Wheeler鈥檚 office declined to pursue the case, calling it a civil rather than criminal matter.

Greene left the door open to the possibility that after 17 years, Saucedo may have been honestly mistaken about the painting鈥檚 provenance. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a very reputable man around here, very respected,鈥� she said.

The city has not received a copy of the state police report, Neave said, despite requesting it after the painting was returned two months ago. The New Mexico Department of Public Safety withheld the report from the Journal for eight weeks, stating that a public records request seeking the single six-page, minimally redacted report was 鈥渙ver burdensome.鈥�

Restored to the council chambers, Mayor Betty Lazar regards the meeting hall with her unflappable face, unbothered by her latest adventure. Neave said constituents proud of the painting鈥檚 unique history and its subject were happy to see her again.

鈥淚t was a relief to get it back,鈥� Neave said. 鈥淭his is where it belongs.鈥�

Algernon 顿鈥橝尘尘补蝉蝉补 is the Journal鈥檚 southern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at adammassa@abqjournal.com.