Janet Marion Farnam

Janet Marion Farnam, 80, of La Grande, died Nov. 30 at a local care center.

There will be a private memorial and celebration of her life.

Janet was born in Salem on Aug. 24, 1927, to Thomas and Marion (Wheeler) Rilea. She grew up in Salem and graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in business. She and Don Farnam, her childhood sweetheart, married soon after and moved to La Grande in 1950. They had two sons, Peter and Tom, and a daughter, Liz.

Janet was a devoted wife and mother. Serving as a den mother for Cub Scouts, she baked and cooked wonderful things while supporting her husband's career at Farnam's Supply, a well known local business. She was a gracious hostess to family and friends - putting up with hot rods being dismantled in the garage, basketballs in the flower beds, a parakeet on her sewing table and a family of sports Junkies. She kept her nails lovely, even as she gutted fish.

She was active with Saint Peter's Episcopal Church , and arranged flowers for the altar for many years, substituting as the organist as the organist when needed.

She described some of her happiest days as those spent at Wildflower Lodge, where the staff enjoyed her sense of humor and dry wit. Janet was surrounded by people who loved her when she died. She left this world as gracefully as she had lived and with the least fanfare possible, just life she wanted it.

She is survived by all of her children, Peter and his wife Julie Farnam, of Summerville, Mary Elizabeth and her husband, Rod Orton, of Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia, and Thomas Farnam of Joseph; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one niece.

Memorial contributions may be made to support the Reading Outreach Program at the Cook Memorial Library.