Frances Lynn Baughman

Frances lived in Grand Junction, Colorado.

December 29, 1925 - October 3, 2026

Frances Baughman passed away at home surrounded by her family on October 3, 2026. Frances was born at her grandparents' home in Antlers, Colorado, the second of eight children to Theodore Allen "Tim" Keithley and Margaret Lucy Pinckard Keithley.

Frances spent the early years of her life in the Antlers/Silt area, then in Pueblo, Colorado from 1929 to 1937, where she attended elementary school. The move to Pueblo was necessitated when her father suffered a ruptured appendix and had to be rushed by train to the Red Cross Hospital in Salida, Colorado for emergency surgery. His doctor told him that he would not be strong enough to return to farming for quite some time. Thus, the move to Pueblo afforded him the opportunity to pursue other jobs while his body healed. She had many fond memories and stories to tell about growing up during The Depression with her brothers and sisters as well as extended family. She was especially close to her sister Nadine and her cousin Evelyn Keithley who was just a few months older. It was near this time when they first moved to Pueblo, that her dad loaded up the family in a Model T car and headed to Missouri so that her mom could see her dad and other Pinckard and Mayfield relatives living there.

At the encouragement of her grandfather Keithley, her parents allowed Frances to move to Silt, Colorado in about 1937 where she lived with her grandfather and her Uncle Earl Keithley's family while she attended 7th and 8th grade. She remarked many times how her Uncle Earl and Aunt Wilma always made her feel welcome and a part of the their family. She remained close with Keithley and Julius family members she got to know while living in Silt. She also developed a particularly close relationship to her grandfather which she felt strongly about the rest of her life.

Frances had the opportunity to spend her 9th grade school year in Tucson, Arizona, where she helped her mom's sister Aunt Mary Frances and her husband Victor Kelly, who were educators, with their two young children. This was a very formative year in her life, she really liked the school there, and it ignited a lifelong love of learning and laid the foundation for the possibility of pursing an education beyond high school. Although her aunt encouraged her to stay, Frances would reminisce that she was growing a little homesick, and wanted to get back to Colorado to see her grandfather whose health was failing. She returned to Silt in 1940, after graduating the 9th grade in Tucson.

At about this same time, her immediate family still living in Pueblo moved to Silt with the promise that her grandfather Keithley would help her dad farm. The family farmed on Silt Mesa, raising potatoes, sugar beets, and apples. Frances enjoyed being outdoors and when her father needed help on the farm she and her brother Bill would help with thinning the rows of beets or planting and harvesting potatoes as well as any other chores that young kids could manage. Their help became ever more necessary when her grandfather suffered a stroke and died in the summer of 1941. Frances was always industrious and would get a job picking fruit or selling produce even if it meant walking several miles to get the produce stand. She liked the country life, and would often remark how she enjoyed the views from Silt Mesa, and the summer nights spend on a haystack looking at the stars. She attended school in Silt from the 10th thru 12th grades and was one of nine students to graduate from Silt Union High School in 1943.

After graduation from high school, Frances joined her sister Nadine, in Grand Junction and started working at St.Mary's Hospital as a typist. St. Mary's Hospital was run by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) in Kansas. Sister Victoria, the hospital superintendent, was favorably impressed by Frances' kind, caring ways, her intelligence, and her strong work ethic. She first trained Frances to work in the X-ray department in the hospital and later encouraged her to study to be nurse because of the aptitude she had shown as well as the critical need for nurses during World War II. This was made possible by an arrangement made with Sister Victoria as well as a condition that Frances join the U.S Cadet Nurse Corps. Frances attended St. Mary College Department of Nursing in Leavenworth, Kansas for her academic training in nursing science and Providence Hospital School of Nursing in Kansas City, Kansas to complete her hospital clinical training. She graduated from Providence Hospital School or Nursing in December 1947 with her diploma in nursing, passed state boards in both Kansas and Colorado and became a registered nurse. She began work at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado in the labor and delivery unit the summer after her graduation.

Frances met her future husband Bob Baughman while they were each working at Martin Orchards in Palisade for the 1942 peach harvest. They stayed in contact before and during her time in Kansas and would correspond even when Bob was in Hawaii doing contract work the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, he drove her mom, sister Betty and cousin Joyce McNeely back to Kansas for her graduation and to visit relatives. When she returned to Grand Junction, the relationship became more serious and they decided they were ready to commit to a life together. Even in recent weeks Frances commented that she knew Bob was right for her because he was a good, honest Christian man, respected by others and very devoted to her. Prior to their marriage, Bob studied and joined the Catholic Church. They were married at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Grand Junction on August 19, 1949. They bought a house on Orchard Mesa and began to raise five children there (Jim, Larry, Mary, Kent and Roberta). Bob and Frances purchased the Baughman family farm from Bob's mother after her husband Irvin passed, and the family moved to the property on F Road in November of 1960. Two more children ( Barb and Bruce) joined the family at this location.

Frances put her nursing career on hold from 1951 to the early 1970's while she and Bob raised their seven children. After all of their children were in school, she studied very hard to renew her nursing credentials, and took a rigorous R.N. Refresher Course from Mesa College. She then returned to work at St. Mary's Hospital, this time on the general surgery unit, where she worked until she retired in 1990.Frances was a devoted and caring nurse, whether at work or helping members of her family. After retirement, she attended to her mother, an elderly aunt, her husband, and especially her son Larry in the later years of his illness with MS. These were all difficult, end of life care situations each lasting from either several months to several years. She did all of this willingly because she had the training and desire to help others. She regretted in her advanced age, that she was no longer physically able to help others with their nursing care.

Frances Catholic faith was always extremely important in her life. She and her older sister Nadine joinced that Catholic Church in October of 1943 when they both worked at St. Mary's Hospital. She was a member of the Altar and Rosary Society, and was a long-time member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. She recently received a pin from the Catholic Daughters for recognition of 55 years of each of them attended Catholic schools in the grades that were available. They encouraged all of their children to always strive to do what they knew as right.

In her retirement years, Frances was able to research and prove her relationship to her Revolutionary War patriot ancestor and thereby become accepted as a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, joining the local Mount Garfield Chapter. The written accounts of many of her ancestors is like reading about the settlement of America, intertwined with many well-known historical figures.

Frances was an amazing cook, preparing well balanced and nutritious meals and desserts for her family that would utilized fresh vegetables from the garden, canned fruit and preserves from the cellar and a variety of meats raised on the farm. She had most of her standardized recipes memorized and she knew how to modify them as needed. Her main recipe book was an old date and calendar book she wrote and pasted recipes into. She could always prepare a meal even if she was short on time or ingredients. Her own mom remarked that she could make something from nothing. Frances was the last member of our family who was part of "The Great Depression", those who experienced the struggles and sacrifices of the Great Depression and World War II. What she was able to accomplish on a daily basis and sustain year after year is truly remarkable.

Frances also enjoyed reading books and magazines. They were often about faith and inspiration, American history, nature or travel to far off places and cultures she would never have a chance to visit and experience. Her children and grandchildren all remember her reading stories to them from her set of Childcraft books that would fuel our imagination. She would also make sure to frequently take her children to the public library to check out books of their choosing.

She also found the time to grow a flower garden around the house that would include but not be limited to zinnias, cosmos, marigold, petunias and pansies. She had a knack for growing plants and enjoyed them all, but particularly had a fondness for those with blossoms of purple and shades of lavender. She would always look forward to Spring and the emergence of new life from dormancy. Her favorites were the many purple lilac bushes that grow around the property. Additionally, she made many outdoor improvements such as transplanting grass to establish a lawn and planting new shrubs and trees. One tree that was very special to her was Blue Spruce she got from her cousin Evelyn as a seedling that is now well over twenty feet in height and that she referred to as "her Evelyn tree".

Frances loved to travel to the many natural wonders in the region, but also to other areas around the country. She went on more than one hair raising trip either alone with Bob or as a family on rugged roads that only he seemed to know about. Not necessarily to reach a destination but just to see where they went. She was cautious by nature but never let that stand in the way of pursuing a good adventure. In her later years as trips away from her home became less feasible, she still longed to be outside and sit in the fresh air and soak in all of God's creation. She could only be kept indoors if she was not feeling well or if the weather made it all impossible.

What she enjoyed the most was time spent with her family. She had a profound love her family, both the Keithley's and Baughman's. She created many albums with pictures, newspaper articles, and records of achievement not only for her children and grandchildren, but extended family members as well. She never knew either of her grandmothers, so she knew how important it was to be a valuable part of her children and grandchildren's lives.

Frances Keithley Baughman lived a wonderful, long life of 100 years. We thank God that He gave such a wonderful mother, grandmother and great grandmother to us. She was a perfect wife for our dad, a loving daughter to her parents and a special sister to her brothers and sisters. She was dearly loved by all of her family; aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and grandchildren. Many of her children's friends also thought of her as their second mom.

Frances was predeceased by her husband Bob Baughman and son Larry Baughman and his wife Kathie; son-in-law Richard Lawrence; sisters Nadine Maglietti, Betty Brown, and Carol white; and brothers BIll, Jack and Ted Keithley; and five nephews.

She is survived by her children, Jim Baughman, Mary (Harvey) Schuchman, Kent (Lynn) Baughman, Robert Lawrence, Barb Asher (MIke), and Bruce Baughman; grandchildren Alex (Connie) Baughman, Amanda Beethe (Tony Neff), Bryan (Stephanie) Baughman, Taryn (Rhett) Smallwood, Courtney Asher, and Lauren Asher; step grandchildren Greg Schuchman, Derek (Bre) Farnsworth and Kristyn (Tony) Gunderson; step great grandchildren Gemma Gunderson, Gage Gunderson, Grady Gunderson and Elle Farnsworth; one sister, Theresa Matthews of Grand Junction ; and one cousin Ann Boice of Tucson; and many nieces and nephews.

A vigil and rosary will be held Thursday, October 22nd from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary located at 2515 Patterson Road in Grand Junction. A funeral Mass, followed by a reception, will be held Friday, October 23rd at noon at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, located at 790 26 1/2 Road in Grand Junction. Interment will follow at St. Anthony's Cemetery on Orchard Mesa, Grand Junction, Colorado.