Faye Pauline Rothrum

Faye Pauline (Bonsness) Rothrum, 82, of Coon Rapids, MN, passed away peacefully with family August 25, 2026. She was born February 23, 1944, in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, to Gordon and Alvina Bonsness. Faye grew up on the family farm, where she and her sister Adele learned the value of hard work early on. The days were filled with chores, the rhythm of the seasons, and the kind of resourcefulness that farm life teaches. Those years shaped her into someone who could grow anything and make a home feel full no matter the size of the budget. Faye was baptized at Elim Lutheran Church in Range, Wisconsin, and began her education at the rural Alec A. Johnson School in Beaver Township. She went on to graduate from Turtle Lake High School before trading in the familiarity of country life to head to the big city to complete her education at the Minnesota School of Business. After graduation, Faye began a career in accounting at Donaldson's, where she met a young sailor home from the Navy, Robert "Bob" Rothrum, who was the son of one of the department store's executives. It didn't take long for Bob to be smitten, and the two were married soon after. Faye and Bob started their family in Minnesota, moved across the country to California for a short time, and then returned to settle in Coon Rapids, where they built their home and raised three children, Scott, Chris, and Lindsey, along with a rotating cast of beloved family dogs. Faye retired from accounting when Lindsey was born to become a full-time mom, and she poured her farm-girl energy into suburban life with her family complete with a backyard vegetable garden that produced bountiful harvests every summer, carpools to every practice and activity, and weekends with family or at car shows alongside Bob. The Evergreen neighborhood in Coon Rapids became like an extended family, with front porch conversations, evening walks around the block, and a monthly card club that turned neighbors into lifelong friends. Some of Faye's fondest memories were made with her family, her sister's family and her parents. From backyard shish kabob cookouts and swimming, to making Christmas candy and cookies, to every holiday and birthday celebrated together. Her sister, Adele, was a particular blessing in her final years with nightly phone calls and frequent visits as her health declined. Theirs was a bond Faye cherished deeply. Christmastime was truly where her artistic gifts shined. She crafted holiday wreaths and hand-painted an entire ceramic Christmas village and Santa Claus collection, the envy of friends and family alike. That same creative spirit carried into an annual gingerbread-making tradition with her grandkids. Nothing in Faye's life compared to being a grandmother. She was endlessly proud of her five grandchildren, Tristen, Wyatt, Allison, Isaac, and Emily. She loved them with her whole heart. She lit up every time she talked about them, delighted with who they were becoming, and considered being their grandma the greatest joy of her life. Faye faced significant health challenges over the past decade, meeting them with the same quiet strength that carried her through everything else. Faye was preceded in death by her husband, Robert "Bob" Rothrum (2004); her parents, Gordon and Alvina Bonsness; her in-laws, Robert and Connie Rothrum, her brothers-in-law, Leroy Urhammer and Lionel Wilsea; her nephew, Jeffrey Urhammer; and other cherished extended family and friends. She is survived by her children, sons Scott (wife Angela) and Chris Rothrum, and her daughter Lindsey Carr (husband Adam); grandchildren Tristen, Wyatt, and Isaac (children of Scott and Angela), and Allison and Emily (children of Lindsey and Adam); her sister, Adele; nephews Kevin and Steven; niece Charlene; and many other loving extended family and friends. A visitation and celebration of life will be held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 3 PM with visitation from 1-3 PM at Washburn-McReavy Coon Rapids Chapel, 1827 Coon Rapids Blvd NW, Coon Rapids.

Faye Pauline Rothrum

February 23, 1944 - August 25, 2026

Explore Obituaries &
Upcoming Services