Brenda Geffre Obituary

On July 12, 2025, Brenda Geffre passed peacefully and joined her beloved husband Wendell in heaven. Brenda Marie Pratt was born August 18, 1940, to Guy Pratt and Opal Bontrager Pratt of Fairbury, Nebraska. After the passing of her birth parents, she lived briefly with the Nuns of Mt. Angel, later as a teen she would travel to Newport, Oregon to live with her cousins Dennis and Dot McManus. Mac and Dot would live the rest of their lives as her parents, giving her the gift of her four siblings and a lifelong family.
While a teen attending Newport High School she would develop lifelong friendships, which would be rekindled often by class reunions and long phone calls. She was tickled to share her granddaughter's Michaela and Brianne with her high school best friend Maddie Favro.
The best of her time in Oregon was meeting her beloved husband Wendell, who was stationed at Yaquina Bay Lighthouse Station while in the Coast Guard. Brenda and Wendell were married on February 7, 1959. Their love was faithful, through all the ups and downs of life they always "kissed each other good night." They celebrated 66 years of marriage with their 3 children by their sides this year.
The day after they married Wendell whisked Brenda away to build their home in Yakima. Over the years they would live many places, whether it was the house Wendell built on 50th or their motorhome on the road, Brenda had a knack for making her space welcoming and her own. She was an avid shopper, browsing the isles of her favorite stores like Macys and Fiddlesticks for the perfect find, and in recent years dialing up the phone to have all sorts of fun deliveries from QVC.
In addition to shopping some of her other hobbies included cooking, baking, and counted cross stitch. She loved to watch the Food Network and pour over her shelves of cookbooks looking for her next famous recipe. When she found something, she liked she wanted to try she set out to make it and take notes in the margins as she perfected it, making it her own. For birthdays and holidays loved ones would place requests in advance for all sorts of their favorite things, snack mix, cookies, porcupine balls, cheesecakes, German Chocolate Cake and the like. She was a champion cross stitcher, winning prizes at the county fair for one of her intricate stockings. Her family and some of her closest friends are honored to hang them out each Christmas. She proudly displayed samplers in her entryway and dining room consisting of hours worth of detailed work. It was fitting that she should have something to show off as most of her projects went to others as gifts of stockings, baby blankets, sweaters and samplers. Wherever she went, ball games, doctor's appointments, camping trips, she would take along her Longaberger basket with her current project just to pass the time.
Brenda's care and nurturing extended beyond her home in her various career pursuits, two of which she was most proud; her in-home daycare and being a paraprofessional. In 1982 the request of close friends Brenda began daycare services that would last the next 10 years, and "Brenda's kids" would hold a special place in her heart for the rest of her life. Photo albums show meals, playtime, stroller walks through the cemetery, birthday parties and special moments with visits from her own children. In the mid 90's after most of her "kids" were off to school and Wendell was retired from the firehouse Brenda took a position at Gilbert Elementary as a paraprofessional. She began collecting a new group of kids, organizing the crossing guards and being a helper to students with special needs. She received accolades from fellow teachers and Mrs. Geffre was loved by all, she retired in 2010.
Brenda poured love and care into so many people, but no more so than as Mom to Suzi, Mikey, and Bunzi; Mima to her grandchildren, and Mimi to her great grandchildren. All of them will keep special memories, gifts and stories of her presence with them forever.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Wendell Geffre (Feb 2025); and survived by her children, Suzanne Geffre, Michael (Xuan) Geffre and Kristen (Bruce) Chard. And her 7 grandchildren, Michaela (Ryan) Conley, Jesse Ward, Brianne Geffre, Haylee Ward, Nathan (Morgan) Geffre, Dustin (Anna) Chard, and Walker (Hannah Davis) Chard. And her 9 great grandchildren. As well her siblings, Dorthy Dearn, Diana (Leland) Oldenburg, Dennis McManus, and Denise (Ron) John, along with many nieces and nephews.
Her family will unite her ashes with Wendell, so they will be together in death as they were in life. A memorial ceremony celebrating the two will be held at a later date in Newport, Oregon.
Brookside Funeral Home is caring for the family. Memories and condolences may be shared at www.brooksidefuneral.com.
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