Nancy Bafus Layer

Nancy (Bafus) Layer, 85, formerly known as Nancy Ferner and Nancy Gardner, passed away January 11, 2020  at her home in College Place.  She was born July 5, 1934 in St. John, WA and attended high school at Prescott High, graduating in 1951.

After marrying John Gardner (Tommy Gardner’s son) in 1955, they later spent time in Ethiopia as missionaries for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the 1970s, where she became Emperor Haili Salassie’s massage therapist.  After Nancy and John Gardner divorced in 1982, Nancy went back to school, graduating from WWCC School of Nursing in 1986, and worked as a RN at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Pendleton.  She married Glenn Ferner in 1990, eventually making their home in College Place.  After Glenn’s death she reconnected with a mutual friend and eventually married John Layer on November 15, 2015, at the age of 80.

Nancy is preceded in death by her parents, Alec and Claudia Bafus; her sister, Patricia Stevens; her late husband, Glenn Ferner; daughter, Shari Mattice; and great-grandson, Sawyer James Jordan.  Nancy is survived by her four daughters, Michelle Cummings of Cheney, WA, Wendy Taylor of Milton-Freewater, Jamie Wallace of College Place, and Becky Saranto of Walla Walla; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Memorial service will be held at Stateline Adventist Church on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 2:30 p.m.  In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Gospel Outreach in College Place.