Grace Burnett Winegarden

Grace Eleanor Burnett was born June 16, 1923 in Mayville NY. She lived with her parents Daisy and Sprague and two older sisters Arlene and Marian. Grace’s parents were always kind to her and she felt safe and loved however she faced many challenges in her home and family life. In early 1930 some people from the nearby Baptist church came to visit and invited Grace's family to church and Grace quickly began to like going to church. One warm Sunday afternoon Grace went to her room kneeled down and had her very first talk with God and asked him to forgive her sins and asked that one day she could go to heaven to be with him. God became her guiding light in life. Grace met Neil in Chicago at Northern Baptist Seminary and College in 1945. Neil was in the seminary program and Grace was in the college program. A trip to the corner drug store to splurge for a hot fudge sundae or reading the Bible in the girl’s dorm living room was a typical date. Neil and Grace got married August 14, 1947, Grace wore a dress that she made with a friend's mom from a high tech new fabric - nylon! In place of a bouquet she chose to carry her Bible for which she had made a white fabric cover adorned with daisies in honor of her mother Daisy. Neil and Grace came to Oregon the first time in 1951. Their three children Dale, Carol and Faith were born in Portland before the family moved to Wheaton, Illinois in the fall of 1956. In 1961 they moved from Wheaton to Seneca, New York. In 1964 the family returned to Portland for good. Neil and Grace enjoyed 64 years of marriage and Grace considered him her best friend, a friendship that grew deeper with each year of marriage. She enjoyed camping trips with her young family and trips back east to visit relatives. Grace spent her life supporting her husband Neil and his pastoral work. The two traveled with their family around the country where Neil served as a pastor and interim pastor at twenty-four different churches and also served at five different Bible Colleges. Grace and her friend Georgina owned and operated Art Center West. Georgina was a talented artist that also taught painting classes and Grace ran picture framing operations with help from Neil. In their later years Neil and Grace settled in Newberg on a small blueberry farm. Their older grandchildren have fond memories of the farm being like summer camp with Neil and Grace always having new and exciting activities for the kids to do. After that they bought a home in Redmond along the Dry Canyon and their children and grandchildren enjoyed many trips to visit and explore the canyon. Finally, they moved to Friendsview where they built a new community of friends and lived out their final years. Even as the last few years of Neil’s life became difficult they always found wonderful moments with the Lord praying together. After Neil's passing Grace felt called to help people in special care and the health center, she continued to serve her community in various roles at Friendsview. Since Neil passed she learned to stand alone, be more open, make decisions, and enjoy the Lord more and more. Even taking such adventures as riding in a hot air balloon. In her final years, she loved visits from friends and family, doing puzzles with others at Friendsview, reading, and continuing to deepen her relationship with Jesus. Neil and Grace are survived by their three children Dale, Carol, and Faith. Six Grandchildren Lisa, Cali, Andrew, Emily, Riley, and Joseph. Great-Grandchildren Ellie, Nathan, Caleb, Benji, Audrey.

Grace Burnett Winegarden

June 16, 1923 - November 9, 2024