Fay Baumgartner (Cunningham) Baumgartner

Ada Fay' Baumgartner
February 6, 1925 - February 5, 2016
Monmouth - Fay Baumgartner, daughter of Louise Rozelle Putnam and Franklin Perry Cunningham, was born in Drain, OR on the same farm that her great grandparents, Rozelle Applegate and Charles Frederick Putnam, had homesteaded circa 1848. The youngest of five children, Fay grew up during the Great Depression in a rustic country home without electricity or modern plumbing.
True to her independent spirit, as a young woman Fay moved to Portland to start a life of her own. In Portland, she supported herself as a switchboard operator, sewed for Janzen Co., and sold war bonds. She rented a room on Willamette St. from a young widow named "Doll" Root. When Doll took Fay to her in-law's cherry farm in Mosier, OR to pick cherries one Summer, Fay met her husband-to-be, Kenneth Root (Kenny).
Fay and Kenny were both progressive for their time, loved people, and never missed a party. They were married on New Year's Eve 1946 and had three children: Alan, Christina, and Karen. While raising their family they lived in Terrebonne, Redmond, Estacada, and Tigard, finally moving to Portland in 1974. Kenny died in 1983, but with their marriage, Fay gained more family and strong ties to her in-laws that would last a lifetime.
Fay moved down to the Independence-Monmouth area after the births of her four grandchildren. Once arriving, Fay made more life-long friends in the community, expanding her "family" even more. The number of nonrelatives that regarded Fay as close family is astonishing. Always with an open heart and open mind, she welcomed people into her life from varied backgrounds and lifestyles.
At Fay's 40th high school reunion, she was reacquainted with an old schoolmate, Francis Baumgartner, who she married in 1987. Francis complimented Fay's adventurous side; their adventures together included sailing on the ocean and enjoying a long road trip through Mexico. From this union, Fay was blessed with four step grandchildren, all of whom she loved and adored as her own.
Fay had many hobbies and interests. She loved hiking and knew all the names of the native flowers in the region. As an avid sewer, she sewed garments for just about everyone in the family, including extended family members. Being crafty and creative, she once owned a little crafting shop in Portland called The Owl's Nest. She gardened and worked at a flower nursery into her 90s. Her favorite games included Pinochle and Scrabble. She was a master at Scrabble and won the last game of her life just a day before her stroke. A testament to her sharp wit until the very end.
With a youthful spirit, Fay enjoyed life one moment at a time, embracing adventure at every turn of life, never expressing regrets, and loving everyone who crossed her path. She held a deep faith in Jesus Christ and was always accepting, never judging. Everyone who ever met her, wanted to be just like her when they "grew up" to a ripe, old age. She died just ten hours before her 91st birthday and in those years, months, weeks, days, and hours she proved that beauty and grace transcend time and circumstance, and that wrinkles do, in fact, add character to the faces of women. It's always too soon to lose a woman like Fay. She was deeply loved by many and will be sorely missed by all who knew her.
Fay was blessed to be survived by all her direct descendants, including three children, four grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
There will be a gathering of family and friends to celebrate her life at the Monmouth Senior Center on Saturday, February 13th, 1 - 4 p.m. Memories, tears, and smiles will be accepted. Farnstrom Mortuary is handling arrangements. Memories and condolences at FarnstromMortuary.com.