Naoma Ruth Farrand

Naoma Ruth Cooper was born on May 6, 1934 in Portland, Oregon to Melville James Cooper and Marie Katherine Gauguin. Her parents had 3 children, Melville James Jr., Ida Louise and Glenna Adair before Naoma was born, and 1 sister, Carol, born 5 years later. Naoma comes from a line of early pioneers who settled in the Clackamas County area of Oregon, with the first ancestors arriving by wagon train in 1846.

Naoma attended elementary school in Portland and Milwaukie Jr High for 7th and 8th grades. Naoma attended Grants Pass High School for her entire high school education and graduated from Grants Pass High School in 1952.

Starting her family in 1955, Naoma raised 6 children by working full time at the United States Post Office for 28 years. She was employed as a city clerk when she started on December 4, 1966 and was a nixie clerk for the last 3 years before she retired on April 1, 1995, working the graveyard shift the entire time.

While growing up, Mom took us kids on two week camping trips on her vacation time. We spent the time exploring eastern Oregon, Kah-Nee-Ta hot springs, Peterson Rock Garden, Crater Lake, eventually making it down to the Redwood trees in California; those were some of her favorite spots.

In 1990, Naoma married Vernon Farrand, they spent time traveling to the Oregon Coast together, staying most of the time in Cannon Beach at the Inn At Spanish Head and eating at Mo’s for lunch and dinner. Naoma loved the storms as much as the sunny days and couldn’t wait for her next trip.

Naoma enjoyed traveling with her family, putting jigsaw puzzles together, and she was still solving a daily crossword puzzle up until a week before she passed. When she could, she loved to garden and she especially loved peonies and iris flowers. Her yard is a beautiful space where children and animals feel at home to run, crawl, tumble and soar.

Grandchildren were the love of her life, she always knew just what goodies to stock up on to bring out the biggest smiles. She was full of generosity and loved to show the great grandkids a good time whenever they came to visit. I know that it made her feel good to pamper and spoil the little guys, we just pretended not to notice that the candy bowl was almost empty by the time we left.

Naoma is survived by one sister, Ida Louise Hollowell of Grants Pass, Oregon; one sister-in-law, Nancy Cooper of Milwaukie, Oregon; 6 children, Biff Smith Sr. of La Grande, Oregon, Sherri Moon (Brett) of Tigard, Oregon, Sandra Goss of La Grande, Oregon, Sharon Turanski (Ron) of Portland, Oregon, Shelley Wiley (James Jr.) of Tigard, Oregon and Tammy Rawlings of La Grande, Oregon; 16 grandchildren; 32 great grandchildren and many cousins, nieces and nephews.