On July 26, 2020, Doris Agnes Baumgarten, of Kelowna, BC, passed away peacefully at the age of 90 years. She is predeceased by her parents, Cliff and Annie(Meider) Edwards and her husband, Peter who died in May, 2006.
Doris was born April 3, 1930 in Wolseley, Saskatchewan to Cliff and Annie Edwards. She graduated from Regina General Hospital School of Nursing in 1951 and on September 15, 1951, in Wolseley, SK, this pretty nurse with the sparkle in her eyes, married her true love, Peter Baumgarten, a handsome farm boy from Claybank, SK, who had recently joined the Regina City Police as a young constable. The newlywed couple moved to Regina, SK shortly after, where they started a family and eventually built their own home.
As a stay at home mom, Doris, along with Peter, raised one son, Brian, of Regina, SK, and one daughter, Sharon Carroll (Baumgarten) of Beaverton, Oregon.
After Pete retired, they moved to Kelowna, BC in May, 1983 for the beautiful scenery and temperate climate of the Okanagan.
We have fond and loving memories of mom’s green thumb as she nurtured her beautiful garden and flowers each year. A year wouldn’t go by without her colourful pansies, geraniums, petunias and marigolds lining the walkways. Mom also loved to bake and was a great cook, always looking for new recipes to surprise us with - some were instant winners, others, not so much. We always looked forward to coming home from school to the sweet aroma of a loaf of fresh-baked cinnamon bread or buns, delicious breads, oatmeal cookies, brownies or Saskatoon berry pies, cooling on the kitchen counter. A special treat would be watching and waiting eagerly as her and dad made apple strudel together - an all-day affair. Mom was always there to run interference for us when we were “in trouble”, often telling us “I’m telling your dad when he gets home”, only to say nothing when he arrived, sparing us some much-deserved “spankings”, but striking fear in us all day long until dad walked in the door. Also memorable were the summer family trips we would take, to the Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, and to Yellowstone, the Tetons, Hollywood, San Diego Zoo, Disneyland, San Francisco and Las Vegas as well as the national parks of western Canada. So many wonderful memories!
Doris was a loving and proud Grandma, and enjoyed holding her grandbabies and rocking them with singing, playing, and giggles. “This little piggy” game was a favourite early memory. A trip to Grandpa and Grandma’s house wasn’t complete until Grandma packed up a big picnic lunch and the whole family headed to the beach for the day. Going to the park to swing and slide also holds happy memories of the grandparents. The grandkids remember going to McDonald’s for a Happy Meal and to feed the ducks.
Doris also was a talented and avid knitter and needleworker, and enjoyed knitting sweaters for her grandchildren.
Even though Doris was quite the “proper lady” with a gentle and kind spirit, she could surprise us with her witty sense of humor and her laughter, which she often shared with her family and friends over a chat and cup or two of coffee. Our family will miss the love she showed us in so many ways, as well her being our confidante and the one we ran to for advice.
Doris is survived by her son Brian (Judy Hutchinson) Baumgarten and daughter Sharon (Vince) Carroll, as well as four grandchildren: Tara (Morgan Lothian) Baumgarten, Pamela (Mike Fischer) Baumgarten, Sean(Rachel) Carroll and Ashley (Tyler) Blackman, and two great-grandchildren, Zachary and Izabella, as well as her dear friends in Kelowna, especially those of Sandpointe community where she enjoyed life and friendship for 14 years.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Cottonwoods Care Centre and Glenmore Lodge for their compassionate and loving care of Doris, during the short time she was there. Doris (Mom/Grandma/friend) will be greatly missed, by our family and all of those whose lives she touched. By her wishes cremation and interment have already taken place at Valleyview Funeral Home and Lakeview Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Kelowna. Doris did not want a service. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date when Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Diabetes Canada at https://www.diabetes.ca/
Condolences may be left for the family at Valleyview Funeral Home, https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries
Finally, to leave you with a favourite quote from a Robert Browning poem Doris loved ~~
“And so, fall asleep love …”
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