Deloris (Fangstrom) Bay

Deloris Fangstrom Bay, 97, of Corvallis passed away on Thursday, October 7, 2021.  She was born on June 26, 1924, in Bromhead, Saskatchewan, the eldest of four daughters of Andrew Fangstrom and Ruth Bowser Fangstrom.  The family moved to Montana when the girls were very young, living in a tent through the first winter.  They purchased a farm near Ronan in the Flathead Valley.  Andrew also harvested wheat for neighbors, as he had previously done in Canada.  The farm was sold after his death, and the family moved to Missoula, where Ruth owned and operated a corner grocery store.  During the World War II years, Deloris attended business college in Spokane, then worked for a short time as a bookkeeper in Oregon.  She became qualified to teach secondary school in Montana, taking her first position in Frenchtown.

In 1944, Deloris moved to Corvallis to teach business classes at Corvallis High School, while she was only a few years older than her senior students.  She married Vance Bay, son of Edwin (Pop) Bay and Lillian Hedges Bay, owners of Bay’s Store, a general store on Main Street.  As time passed, Vance and Deloris became the owners and worked as a team to keep the business successful, with Deloris responsible for the bookkeeping.  They had four daughters, who all worked in the store part-time.  While preparing to move the business across the street into a larger building, the family spent hours together laying new floor tiles before the move.

Deloris loved nature, including the huge cottonwood tree full of birds and squirrels that graced her back yard at the family home (originally built for Vance’s grandparents) in Corvallis, where she lived for over 75 years.  She raked mountains of leaves every autumn, grateful for the shade the tree had provided during the summer heat and the mulch for winter.  She was an avid organic gardener, practicing skills learned from her Swedish father.  This year in September she was happily harvesting tomatoes and zucchinis.  From her German mother, Deloris learned many domestic skills, including food preservation, sewing, knitting, crocheting, and quilting.  Her maternal grandmother Clara also contributed to her quilting skills.  She went on to lovingly produce many quilts and afghans for family members, often with her daughters assisting.  She completed a wide variety of other sewing, needlework, and craft projects as well, including the creation of unique Christmas ornaments.

Over the years, Deloris chose to dedicate much of her time and energy to helping family members and others with mental and physical disabilities.  In addition, she treasured close friendships with community members who shared her interests and values.  Deloris herself received wonderful loving care from family, friends, and caregivers during her declining years.  She was able to continue living in her own home, enjoying her yard full of flowers (with awesome irises as one specialty) and her vegetable garden, until just a few days before she passed on.  The family wishes to express special thanks to everyone who assisted her to stay in her home, including friends, neighbors, and caregivers.

Deloris is survived by her four daughters, Linda Bay of Denver; Sandra Hansen of Kirkland, Washington; Darlene Bay of Dunnville, Ontario; and Nadine and husband Gordon Vaughan of Colorado Springs; her nine grandchildren; and 15 great grandchildren.  She was predeceased by her husband Vance; her three sisters, Audrey Brown of Chehalis, Washington; Ilo Poradosky of Vista, California; and Maidie Scoggins of Lewiston, Idaho; and two beloved grandchildren, Esam Warney of Corvallis and Emilio Phelan of Yakima, Washington.

In her final years, Deloris especially appreciated the miracles of each season, warm sunshine, beautiful Montana skies and amazing sunsets.  She is remembered and missed by family and friends.