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Joy Eileen Walker Fagenstrom |
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July 12, 1921 ~ September 6, 2015 |
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September 23, 2015 |
 Our
beloved mother, grandmother, and
great-grandmother, Joy Eileen Walker Fagenstrom,
94, passed away peacefully on September 6, 2015
in her home surrounded by family.
She was born on July 12, 1921 in Basin, Wyoming,
to Doc (MB) and Olive (Townsend) Walker. After
graduating from Basin High School in 1939, she
attended Stanford University for one year. She
transferred and graduated from the five-year
nursing program at Montana State College in
Bozeman in 1944. Joy was a member of the Chi
Omega Sorority. She was a nursing instructor at
the Deaconess Hospital in Great Falls.
Joy met Richard L. Fagenstrom at MSU, and had an
enduring courtship during World War II. They
married one month after he returned from the war
on July 27, 1946 at St. Andrews Episcopal Church
in Basin, Wyoming. They returned to Bozeman,
where Dick finished college and then back to
Great Falls, where Jane was born.
In 1948, looking for a little adventure, they
moved to California. In 1950, she was diagnosed
with tuberculosis and spent nearly two years in
a sanitarium, then at home on bed rest. She not
only survived, but lived to have four more
children: Nancy, Susan, Janis and Joe while
living in Wyoming. In 1963 the family moved to
Great Falls where she went back to work as a
nurse. In 1971 they moved to Eastport, Idaho and
then Bonners Ferry, Idaho where she spent
several years raising her four youngest
children. Once they left the roost, she went
back to work as a nurse.
When Dick & Joy retired they enjoyed traveling
between their homes in Arizona and Northern
Idaho. In 1999, they made their permanent home
in Surprise, Arizona where Dick passed away in
2006. Each time she returned to Bonners Ferry,
Joy always commented on how much she missed the
mountains, trees, and all the green.
In 2011 Joy moved to Missoula to be closer to
more of her children and enjoyed four years as a
part of the Grizzly Peak assisted living
community. In February she moved in with her
daughter, Nancy and husband, Ron where she lived
out her remaining months.
Joy had a life-long passion for caring for
others. She enjoyed her career as a nurse,
especially her years spent in labor and
delivery. Her greatest joy was her family,
especially the babies. She was proud of all of
her offspring and relished family gatherings.
Joy said the happiest time in her life was when
she was raising her kids. “It all goes by so
fast, enjoy it while you can.” She modeled
faithful living, being a part of her church
family wherever she lived. She was a survivor,
having battled and won against tuberculosis, two
kinds of cancer, and at 86, back surgery. She
even graduated from Hospice this spring! Joy was
a good listener, a great cook, an avid knitter,
a classy dresser and well loved by all who met
her.
Joy is survived by her children, Jane (Duane)
Congleton of Goodyear,Arizona; Nancy (Ron) Marks
of Missoula, Montana; Susan (Eric) Doering of
Colfax, Washington; Janis (Jim) Tucker of
Bonners Ferry, Idaho; and Joe (Lori) Fagenstrom
of Grass Valley, California. She is also
survived by thirteen grandchildren: Gwen Brahler
and Brian (Sundae) Congleton of Colorado
Springs, Colorado; Erik Marks of Buckeye,
Arizona; Isaac (Kathie) Marks of Missoula,
Montana; Liz Marks of Baton Rouge, Louisiana;
Megan
(Mike) Dorman of Colfax,Washington; Kyle Doering
of Lewiston, Idaho; Kinsey (Adam) Roberts of
LaCrosse, Washington; James (Sarah) Tucker of
Surprise, Arizona; Jodi (Chad) Booth of Coeur
d’Alene, Idaho; Austin Tucker of Bonners Ferry,
Idaho; Adam & Emily Fagenstrom of Grass Valley,
California; and thirteen great-grandchildren:
Josie, Juniper and Tessa Brahler; Reese, Brooks,
Beck and Charlie Congleton; Bethany Marks; Lexie
and Emma Dorman; Katie Jo, Tucker and Kerrie
Booth.
Joy was preceded in death by her husband of
sixty years, Richard L. Fagenstrom, her parents,
and brother, Myron Walker.
Interment took place at the Western Mt.
Veteran’s Cemetery next to her husband, Dick. A
Memorial service will be held on November 1,
2015 at 2:30 p.m. at the Immanuel Lutheran
Church in Missoula with Pastor Molly
Sasser-Goehner presiding. A special thanks to
the staff at Home Instead and Partners in Home
Care Hospice for their care of Joy during her
last months. Memorial donations may be made in
her name to Trinity Lutheran Church Memorial
Fund, 6784 Cody St., Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805,
or to Auburn
Crest Hospice, Bonners Ferry, Idaho, 6371
Kootenai St., Unit 4 and 9, Bonners Ferry, Idaho
83805. |
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