Born April 7, 1932, Simms, Texas.
Passed on to her resurrection promise April 25, 2024.
Fay, lovingly called “Punk”, was born to William Richie Bostian and Illie Bethel West.
Her father was born in Mississippi and was sixty-two years old at Fay’s birth.
Her mother was born on the Red River County Indian Reservation and was thirty years of age when she gave birth to Fay.
Fay is preceded in death by her parents and her eleven older siblings which survived infancy-George, Lilly, Fanny, Viola, Onie, Omie, Virginia (“Bob”), Lewis, William, Ferrell (“Sonny Boy”), and Mary.
Ella Fay never left the state of Texas until 18 years old. She met Marvin Bennett Hunt in Dallas, Texas and married him at the Miller County Courthouse, Arkansas on April 25, 1951. They lived in South Carolina, Colorado, California, and Oregon. Marvin preceded her in death on February 21, 2004.
Fay’s wish was to die on the same piece of property she had been born. This wish was realized on the 73rd anniversary of her marriage to Marvin.
Together Fay and Marvin birthed three children-Laura J Pierce (1955, Redwood City, CA), Lewis William “Bill” Hunt (1957, Redwood City, CA), and Linda Maurine Estavillo (1960, Portland, OR). The children’s spouses respectively: Jerry A Pierce (1982), Alex Stiner (2001), and David Estavillo (1998).
Her grandchildren: Born to Laura-Faith Merritt Pierce-Gooding (husband, Rob, deceased), Evan Garrett Pierce (wife, Vanessa) and two adopted great grandsons (Asea, and Kyland), Aura Pierce Ray (husband, Corby) with two great grandsons (Noah and Leslie), and Nathan Pierce.
Born to Linda- Jessica Marie VanderVeen, Amber Ray Fortune (Drew) and James Lane (great grandson- James Ezra).
Immediately after graduation from James Bowie High, Fay worked in Dallas as a yearbook and thesis proofreader. After moving to Oregon, she spent thirty years working for General Telephone as a repair dispatcher. She also sold Avon, Tupperware, and Home Interiors.
Fay was a church planter and founding member of First Southern Baptist of Beaverton, Oregon. She taught Sunday School, VBS, was President of the Women’s Missionary Union, and helped to start two other missions (Brookwood Baptist of Hillsboro and Liberty Baptist of Aloha).
Her other leadership roles were to serve as Secretary to the Hillsboro Ladies of the Elks, and Chairperson of the board of Upward Bound Camp.
Hobbies and activities of interest included collecting cups and saucers, crochet, quilting, photography, baking rum cakes, playing Mexican Train and Gin Rummy, traveling and going to the Casino.
Ella Fay leaves a legacy of a strong work ethic, resourcefulness, common sense and an open door of hospitality holding tight the philosophy that wealth is not measured in money but in relationships with others, family and friends. Her life was a model of Proverbs 31.
Services will be 11:00 A.M. Saturday, May 4, 2024 at Bates Family Funeral Home in De Kalb, Texas with Monte Madsen officiating. Interment will follow at Sand Hill Cemetery in Simms, Texas.
Visitation will be held 10:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. Saturday, May 4, 2024 at Bates Family Funeral Home in De Kalb, Texas.
Online registration at www.batesfamilyfuneralhome.com.
