Faye Monta Turbyfill

Monta Nola Faye Curtis was born in Newton County Arkansas August 26, 1916. She was the eldest of five children born to Meda Sutherlan Curtis and Edward Arthur Curtis. Meda was a school teacher and Edward was a farmer. By the time Faye was six she was helping with the animals and cooking. She also had two brothers, Rex and Ed Arthur, Jr. When she was eight her sister Dollie was born, and thirteen when Margaret Grace was born. Faye went to school in Alix, AR until she was fifteen when the family moved to Springdale, AR. She graduated from high school there and started teaching school before she was twenty. Her first school was in an area named Accident. In 1939 Faye married Lee Hamilton Turbyfill. Lee had been a student of Faye's mother in Alix. In fact, Meda had to paddle him once for luring the other boys into going fishing during the school day. That was one of his favorite stories _ that his mother-in-law had spanked him. In Oct. 1941 Judy Rae was born. In the summer of 1943 the family moved to Washington. Billie Lee was born in Sept. 1943. When the school board in Sara heard that Faye was a teacher they asked her to come and teach. Her Mother Meda was already teaching at Sara school. Faye taught there until 1951. In Oct. of that year Jimmy Hal was born. The family moved to El Rio, California in 1952 to be near Lee's sister. Faye didn't plan on teaching that year, but when she took Judy and Billie over to see their new school the superintendent talked her into teaching a fifth grade class. Upon returning to Washington in 1953 Faye started teaching at Baker school. She and Meda taught there until Baker and Sara united to become South Ridge Elementary, a part of the Ridgefield School District. Faye earned her Bachelors and Masters degrees from Portland State University. In the 1950's she started her "hobby". She bought acreage, cleared it, cleaned it up and resold it. She always had a great appreciation for the land. Most of this work she did in the summer. She was a great brush burner and could build a sturdy fence. She also raised cattle and was a good farmer. After suffering from heart problems for many years, Lee passed away in 1974. Faye continued teaching at South Ridge until 1976 when she retired. She continued working on land and helped care for her mother. In 1980 she built a new house doing the sub-contracting herself, plus a lot of the physical labor. She still had cattle, and canned and froze fruits and vegetables. She was never an idle person and always said she had to "earn her salt" each day. Faye also loved to play. She liked pinochle and poker, as well as the slots in Reno. She visited the Caribbean many times while her son Jim lived there. She and her sister Margaret went on a tour of Europe together. She made frequent trips back to Arkansas; once to a reunion with some of the students she taught in Accident, her first school. She also liked a good joke. She was a great cook and served many good meals to family and friends. Faye was preceded in death by her father and mother; husband Lee; brothers, Rex and Arthur Curtis; sister, Dollie Logan. She is survived by her daughters, Judy (Brooks) Owen, Billie (Robert) Mathieu; son, Jim (Donna) Turbyfill; and sister, Margaret Hancock. She leaves seven grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.

Faye Monta Turbyfill

August 26, 1916 - November 26, 2010