Father Andrew Baumgartner, O.S.B. (1934-2020) On June 2, 2020, Fr. Andrew died suddenly, but peacefully. He took ill while praying in the chapel and at the beginning of night office was helped to his room by several confreres. He died before the office was finished. It was a fitting death for a dedicated monk who had faithfully prayed the divine office for more than 65 years and had just celebrated the 6Oth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Father Andrew was born March 12, 1934, and spent his early years on the family farm near Genesee, ID, in an area that was heavily Catholic and has been a fertile source of religious and priestly vocation. His family moved to Mt. Angel, OR, and from there he entered the minor seminary operated by Mount Angel Abbey as a high school freshman in 1948. After six years in the minor seminary, he entered Mount Angel Abbey and was professed there, with Fr. Prior Boniface, on September 8, 1955. He was ordained May 26, 1960. Thereafter, he served in many capacities at Mount Angel: Associate pastor in Mt. Angel and mathematics teacher at the local Catholic High School while also serving as associate pastor in the town parish. He earned an advanced degree in mathematics at Colorado State University and taught mathematics in the seminary for many years, where was also rector of the college seminary. In the abbey he was organist, junior master, subprior for 13 years and business manager for 15. He spent nine months in 1979-89 helping to build the Ascension Priory, but was then called back to Mount Angel to be business manager, a position he held for 15 years. During his time at Mount Angel, he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada twice and was doing it for a third time when he had a heart attack. In November 1995 he was assigned to Ascension Priory, where he lived until his death, serving as business manager and subprior. When he arrived at the Ascension Priory he quickly became involved in Cursillo, and was still a member of a 4th-Day Group when he died. In later years he became very involved in prison ministry, working with the ecumenical Kairos group active in Boise. He truly loved that difficult work. He continued hiking here in Idaho and made many friends in the process. He used to walk around our property each day (a four-mile walk) and to the day he died he took a walk every afternoon. He is survived by a sister, Dorothy Diehl, who lives in Mount Angel, and several nieces and nephews and their children. In his last years he liked to reminisce. His recollections were usually happy ones, giving the impression that he was grateful for many blessings. He was, in the best sense of the word, a simple man, guileless, and satisfied with simple things. We and his many friends will miss him. Because of the COVID-19 epidemic, plans for his funeral are pending. We ask your prayers for him and for our community.