Laura Martha Garrett

Laura Martha (Trump) Garrett passed away of natural causes at her home in Star, Idaho, October 30th, 2008. She was a former resident of La Grande, Oregon.

She began her life on June 11, 1918 at a logging camp at Eustace Meadows, Wallowa County, Oregon in a log cabin. She was born to William R. and Eva (Hayes) Trump, the second of eight children to be born to this union. Both of her grandfathers homesteaded in Wallowa County.

Mother lived at her grandfather Hayes' place on Bear Creek with her seven brothers and sisters where the nickname "Fatty" was bestowed by her father. She carried the name "Aunt Fat" or "Fat" the rest of her life, even though she was skinny as a rail. When she was sixteen, she moved to town to live with a widowed woman and tend her children for room and board. She finished high school in Wallowa in 1936. That same summer while visiting her aunt in Promise, she met a young red-headed man at a dance. He asked her for the "goodnight waltz" and her heart just about jumped out of her chest. That started a sixty year waltz with Arthur S. Garrett. They were married December 6th, 1936, at preacher Potters house near Promise. He had to borrow two dollars from his brother to pay the preacher.

The wife of a logger, she made homes for her husband, and later, two children in several places in Eastern Oregon. Her daughter Ardyce was born in October of 1939. That winter at Bates, Oregon, they endured with a young baby girl through the winter in a wood-walled tent, all the while looking for a better opportunity for work. With her husband finding work with Collins-Pondosa Lumber Company in Pondosa, Oregon, she finally got the chance to have a house to call her own, although it was owned by the company. She loved to cook, and was good at it. She loved to have a large garden, and grew flowers and rosebushes wherever she went. When the kids got old enough, (now she had a son, James A., born in September of 1943), she went to "to camp" in the woods on Main Eagle Creek, and other camps to cook and support her husband and family during the summers. She was also the chief organizer for summertime trips to the high lakes in the Eagle mountains. Her cooking skills were ever more appreciated than when the food was packed by horseback into the lakes and cooked over an open fire.

She supported her daughter's musical aspirations and her son's athletic interests by making five or six trips a week from Pondosa to Baker. She even talked her husband into moving to town for a couple of winters, making it easier on everyone. She was very busy raising "Purina" chicks for fryers, helping with 4-H projects and doing chores when moving to the "Bieber" place south of Pondosa. Her husband was logging out of La Grande, and was gone most of the week so it fell to her to make sure everything was still alive when he came home. It was a fun time there, but it came to an end when she slipped and was pinned under a wooden panel for an extended amount of time while trying to feed the sheep. Needless to say, it wasn't long before she quit the farm life and moved to Baker.

In 1961, they moved from Baker to La Grande, so they would be closer to work.

After helping both of her children through Eastern Oregon University, she availed herself of some art classes to enhance her considerable skill as an artist. She enjoyed watercolors but was especially adept in china painting, as evident by the tea sets and plates that have been given to friends and family members. She enjoyed her time interacting with the china painters at "Robbie's" with like minded artists. Her home at the bottom of the grand stair case at E.O.U., was always awash in color of various rose bushes, flower beds full of Iris, and all other sorts of colorful varieties. She was always proud of the fact that people would come there to have their wedding and graduation pictures taken in from her flowers.

Laura was very happy when her granddaughter, Jennifer, decided to come live with them and get her degree in music from E.O.U. She helped Jennifer start a career in music that has grown into a doctorate of Music from the University of Kentucky, and a teaching position at the college level in Tennessee. She took pride in the fact that she helped and encouraged her grandson Justin, who is also teaching at the college level in Oregon. She was especially proud , and supportive, of her youngest granddaughter Josie's accomplishments as an independent business woman in Oregon.

The last few years of her husbands four decade long career as a logger, she would go with him to the woods in the summer, living, and cooking in a camp trailer so he wouldn't have to drive. She thoroughly enjoyed those last few summers in the woods.

After her husbands passing in 1997, she moved to Idaho to be near her family. She became involved in her "Idaho" grandson's need to be "chauffeured" around t athletic practices of all kinds and especially the golf course. She attended many activities at Middleton, to support Dustin, and he thrilled her by playing college football at Oregon State, and later Idaho State. She was very supportive of his efforts in college and was extremely happy that he graduated and ended up coaching college football. She was always about education and made sure everyone around her knew it. She was very proud of her grandson Joshua and cherished his daughter, her great-granddaughter, Mya.

The trip of a lifetime came when she was able to travel to New York to be with her daughter and son-in-law, granddaughters, son and daughter-in-law to attend the New York Opera. Her granddaughter Jennifer sang in the opera "The Magic Flute".

Laura as known was the "champion" pie maker. Every holiday in Idaho included several different requests for special pies. There we never any leftovers. She was the keeper of the glorious flower beds, garden, the planting of trees, dogs, cats, and horses.

She was preceded in death by her husband of sixty plus years, Arthur S. Garrett, her daughter Ardyce L. Coleman, parents, W.R. and Eva Trump, brother John who died after the Bataan death march in a Japanese prison, older sister Vivian Wyss, soul-mate sister Catherin Spain, and sister Betty Hayter.

She is survived by her son, James A. Garrett and wife Nancy of Star, Idaho; grandchildren Jennifer Coleman, Nashville, Tennessee, Justin Coleman, Salem, Oregon, Josie Coleman, Cannon Beach, Oregon, and their father Larry Coleman of Lexington, Kentucky. Also by grandsons, Josh Murray, Boise, Idaho, Dustin Murray, La Grande, Oregon, and great-granddaughter Mya Murray of Boise. Laura is also survived by her sister Barbara Moltman of Hermiston, Oregon, brothers Bill Trump of Union, Oregon and Dick Trump of Pendleton, Oregon.

Aunt "Fat" is also survived by many cherished nieces and nephews, friends and extended family. One very special source of comfort and connection to the world was her niece Cheryl Kooch, of Enterprise.

A graveside service is planned for a later date at Grandview Cemetery, La Grande, Oregon.

Donations may be made to Eastern Oregon University football program in her name.

.