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Official Obituary of
Frances H. Coykendall (Harberg) Burrows
March 30, 2015
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Frances Burrows Obituary
Frances (Fran) H. Coykendall Burrows, 92, passed away peacefully with her family at her side on March 30, 2015.
She was born to Earl T. and Marie H. Harberg in Tacoma, Washington - the first of their three children. During the Great Depression, her family moved to San Francisco where she was granted admission to the prestigious Lowell High School, graduating with honors in 1940. She then met and
married Donald Coykendall, and their son, Robert was born in 1941. Their daughter, Carol arrived in 1945. During World War II, both Fran and Don proudly worked in the Bay Area shipyards, where even though she was actually a ship painter she later thought of herself as another Rosie the
Riveter.
Immediately after the War the Coykendall's moved to Grants Pass, Oregon where Don would enter the publishing and typesetting trade and Fran could finally become a full-time mother. In 1953, after earlier moves to both Roseburg, Oregon and Castro Valley, California, the family finally put down more permanent roots in Gold Beach, Oregon where they went into the publishing business as part owners of the Curry County Reporter - a tiny but historic weekly newspaper. Don handled the advertising, press work and typesetting while Frances took up photography and once received
informal recognition by Life Magazine editors for pictures published in the Reporter.
In her spare time Fran loved beachcombing, designing dried floral and driftwood arrangements with her creations winning numerous competitions. She, Don and another couple once had a small mail-order business retailing decorative driftwood which was quite successful until rising shipping costs
became prohibitive. The newspaper was eventually sold but Don was successful in other ventures until he passed away in 1974. Fran had begun working as the business manager for the local education district, a career she was to have for the next 25 years. During this time she provided grief counseling comfort to others who had also recently lost spouses. She eventually retired in 1986, sold the home she and Don had designed and moved back to the Bay Area to be closer to family. At this juncture she traveled much of the U.S. and World with friends and family, even visiting relatives in Norway. She made several journeys to the Far East, whose art forms she had always adored.
By 1990 she had a new love in her life. Norman W. Burrows, a former grocer whom she had known from Gold Beach together began long distance dating. They soon married and settled in their new home in Bend, Oregon. They immensely enjoyed exploring Oregon's high desert country via
snowmobile, ATV, and RV's until Norm's untimely death in 1994. She and daughter Carol then relocated to Portland where together they built a custom home which they have since shared in the Northwest Heights area. In recent times she's concentrated on family and the vast world around her. She always had a wide range of interests and the knowledge and ability to discuss them. She loved visits with her extended family and attended many art exhibitions as a member of the Portland Art Museum and Portland Japanese Garden.
Frances was preceded in death by her parents and brother: Howard Harberg.
She is survived by her sister: Doris Johnson; son: Robert Coykendall(Rebecca); daughter: Carol Smith(Herb Hoffart); cousin: Marilyn Stevens Caldwell; nieces: Karen Chase(Hal); Susan Correia; Laurie Johnson(Bill); Kathy Edwards(Dennis); Cheryl Sousa(Don); Cindy Mendieta(Herbert); and nephew: Chris Harberg(Jackie). She was especially close to her sister's grandchildren: Carolyn Roque(Job); Christine Danna(Zack); Brian Chase; Michael Chase; Daniel Correia and David
Pilkington.
A private family and friends memorial gathering will be held in her honor at a later date and her ashes will be disseminated to the four winds on the Oregon Coast she dearly loved.
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