Tresa W. Covington

Tresa Wavena Covington (Baird) was born in Gotebo, Oklahoma, on October 18, 1934. Her family moved to Vancouver, Washington in the 1940's. Tresa attended Vancouver High School where she met Ron Covington, her future husband. Tresa and Ron married and raised three daughters. They worked hard together to create a beautiful home. They were married 38 years, until Ron's sudden death in 1992. Tresa was an amazing cook, a creative decorator, a masterful gardener, and she kept a warm, inviting, and immaculate home for her family. She made the most delicious and beautiful meals and desserts. She made even the simplest foods, like chocolate chip cookies and tuna noodle casserole, into culinary masterpieces. She made the holidays so special with lovely decorations, homemade candies and cookies, and festive foods: Eggs Benedict for Easter brunch with the perfect nested candy selection; chili and corn bread muffins for Halloween, and after trick-or-treating, old fashioned donuts and apple cider; moist turkey with perfectly seasoned cornbread stuffing and pecan as well as pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving; lemon bars and peanut butter balls and garlic snacks, along with the most perfectly roasted meat, fluffy mashed potatoes and perfectly smooth and savory gravy, for Christmas. Birthdays meant a beautiful bouquet of select flowers from the garden, the dinner of your choice, whether that was meatball stew, roast beef hash, or lasagna and all the requisite trimmings, along with a home baked birthday cake with delicious homemade frosting. Tresa loved beauty and was very artistic. She amazed us as kids with the paper dolls and clothes she would draw for us, skillful sculptures made with Playdough, candles made from left-over crayons, and wall décor made from wood scraps and nails. Later, she impressed the grandkids with her decorated goody bags for Halloween, complete with bare branched trees with owls and full moon skies. She was an accomplished seamstress and even made a tonneau cover for Dad's Austin Healy. She was skilled at embroidery and did beautiful hand work. She loved music and loved singing harmony. We all frequently went hiking, and she knew the names of all the wildflowers, and would point them out to us. She loved reading and always made sure we had lots of books, and she took time to read to us when we were young. She had many favorite books and authors, which she would reread again and again through the years. Tresa was a dedicated, loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her greatest joy in life was spending time with her family. She was confident that Jesus Christ was her Savior. She attended Columbia Presbyterian, Harvest Community Church, and Christ Our Redeemer Church. Tresa is survived by her three daughters, Brenda (Steve) Nelson, Karen (Ray) Hanger, and Jennifer Covington (Pete Grun); four grandchildren, Cathryn (Eric) Rogers, Jessica (Jake) Wilson, Paul (Renae) Hanger, and Emma (Dan) Warner; and five great grandchildren. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Tresa W. Covington

October 18, 1934 - May 10, 2022