Noella Lee Wallingford Farren ~ March 15, 1947, to July 29, 2022
Lee was born on March 15, 1947, to Vernier R. Wallingford and Ethel Muriel Nicol Wallingford, at the Catherine Booth Hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Lee lived her early years in Canada, moving with her family to Van Nuys, California in 1951. The family moved to Ogden, Utah in 1957 where they resided in the downtown Ogden area, later settling in Washington Terrace, Utah.
Lee attended schools in the Ogden School District, graduating from Bonneville High School in 1965, where she was a National Merit Scholar finalist, a member of the Model UN (3 years), a member of the Science Club (3 years), Science Club Secretary, first place in Science Reporting, Honor Roll, National Honor Society, and Pencraft Editor.
She attended and graduated from New College in Sarasota, Florida. She continued her education at the University of Washington, receiving a master’s degree in English. She later added a teaching certificate from Western Oregon University and a degree in Library Science from Eastern Oregon University.
Lee led a varied and interesting life. She had many professions, enjoying learning and obtaining skills her entire life. She had great intellectual curiosity and saw the world through the eyes of an artist. She worked as a car hop at the Blue Onion in Ogden; a teacher; seamstress; quilter librarian; potter, printmaker; typesetter; published magazine, newspaper and book author; photographer wildland firefighter; Stand examiner, and range technician. She was an avid gardener and birder; and watercolor, oil, and drawing artist.
Lee first rode a horse as a little girl and had a large collection of Breyer horses that she cherished. She learned to herd cattle in the Blue Mountains around Ukiah, Oregon, where she participated in the annual distribution of cattle onto summer range and end of season gathering.
She lived in Eugene, Milton-Freewater, and Ukiah, but her writing took her all over the Northwest. She volunteered with many organizations, including 4-H, and loved teaching art to young people.
She enjoyed long walks and rides in the woods and rangeland with her horses Echo and Patches. Her gardening skills created masterpiece gardens and she was very content with the last one she created at her home in Eugene. She worked countless hours perfecting her watercolor skills.
Lee was married and divorced twice before marrying Ed Farren in 1993. She is survived by her husband; daughter Noella Grady (Ben Buford); granddaughter Bethany Buford; a grandson Beckett to be born August 2022; a stepson and wife; two step grandchildren; and sisters Lynn Wallingford (Steven) Cochrane; Elise (Richard) LaJeunesse; many nieces and nephews; cherished friends; and her recently acquired cat, Mya. She loved being a mother and grandmother.
She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Vernier M. Wallingford. At her request, she was cremated, and her ashes will be spread in the Blue Mountains at a later date.
Published by Legacy Remembers on Aug. 5, 2022.
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