Contributions to the tribute of Lorraine Anderson

Lorraine Anderson

1928 - 2014

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Brent Wistrom posted a condolence

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

We're saddened by Lorraine's passing. But we're also celebrating the fun and loving life she led. For those who couldn't attend the service, here is the family reflection that was read at her funeral. We'll always love you, Grandma. -- My name is Brent. And Lorraine was my Grandma. In a lot of ways she was Grandma to all of us. Because Grandmas aren’t just your parents’ moms. They are people who have a little more wisdom. They have little more experience. And they’re the women we all look to for answers when we get a little lost. Lorraine embodied all of the great and loving things that Grandmas are supposed to be. She cooked -- and you’re going to hear a lot about my endless love for Grandma’s cooking today. Because she was the best. Just ask Orville, who I’m sure is up there with Grandma right now… maybe asking for a second serving of those mashed potatoes. But those memorable meals are just a fraction of what made Lorraine such a bright light in our lives. Grandma had a way of making holidays and get-togethers special for everyone. She covered all the bases from the moment guests were invited until they went home with a heavy plate of leftovers. She paid attention to the details. She asked questions to find out what was going on with her friends and family. And she helped us all whenever she could. She surprised us with her sense of humor. And she spoiled us with her love and her generosity. For the four of us grandkids who are here today, she defined what it meant to be a grandma. For me, I think about how well she knew me and knew how to make me happy. When I was at that perfect age, maybe 10 or 12, she took me down to Minneapolis to buy Minnesota Twins baseball cards. It might sound simple, but hanging out in the big city card shop with Grandma -- and the strong prospect that she might buy me a little something. That, well, that was a treat. And, yes, she spoiled me there. I think I may still have a set of cards of the 1985 Minnesota Twins. When her grandson, David, was about to celebrate his 6th birthday, Grandma planned a trip to the top of the IDS tower -- the tallest building in Minneapolis. And she bought him a cool IDS snow globe as a memory to take home. Then there were the times when the boys were mercifully left with Grandpa or back at home. That’s because Grandma loved shopping. She took the girls down to the cities for dresses, hats, jeans. You name it. Jenny told me that Grandma had some pretty good fashion tastes too. In fact, she once told Jenny that she secretly dreamed of being a fashion designer. Middle school girls typically don’t want to wear their grandma’s clothing. But Jenny told me that Grandma had style, and a particular white Espree shirt that she would have loved to steal from Grandma’s closet. And Grandma could create style with her hands -- and a sewing machine. She used to design and sew dresses for Jenny and Kelly when they were little. And I think they’ve kept some of those dresses to this day. But Grandma wasn’t all about new things. She patched up Grandpa’s overalls -- and mine, too -- so many times that they were probably entirely new pants after a few years. Grandma was the most generous gift giver I’ve ever known, and that became abundtantly obvious if you have ever seen the pile of gifts around our Christmas trees over the years. Grandma loved Christmas, and she took it to higher levels. Sometimes we would come here to this church after dinner for the late Christmas Eve service. Sometimes we’d all be cozied up on the couch trading stories and drinking egg nog. But, no matter what, we would all have more gifts than we could imagine, the best food on the planet and quality family time that I don’t think any of us will ever forget. Grandma knew how to have a good time, and she knew how to help others have a good time too. We may not have her with us anymore. But you can see many of her best traits in her daughters, Teri and Pam. And you can feel Grandma’s warm heart when you talk with them and see them being grandparents with Peyton and Lauren. You can hear still hear Grandma’s sense of humor -- especially in Teri and Pam, Jenny and Kelly. And that’s now all being passed down another generation. She changed us all for the better. And I think we’re all proud knowing that there’s a little bit of her spirit in all of us. It was really until I got older that I realized how much bigger and more interesting my Grandma’s life really was. One of the first things I remember realizing was just how IN LOVE and DEDICATED Lorraine and Orville were. They were loving toward each other, protective of each other and they worked well together. That’s not to say I never saw grandma roll her eyes or shush Grandpa if he was telling an embarassing story. Another thing I had never considered was that Grandma was once a hot, young lady who guys wanted to take on a date. I mean, she was always beautiful. But just look at those old pictures --- back in the mid 1940s she was more than beautiful. She was a Catch! And Orville saw that. I hadn’t heard how they met until I asked Grandma about it a year or so ago at Haven House. She told me that she met Grandpa on a double date. She and her girlfriend went out with two young men. I think it was dancing. Grandma told me that she and Orville started winking at each other from the start. I throught that was funny and cute. And soon they were dating. I asked Grandma if that caused any friction with her girlfriend, and Grandma told me probably not… but I don’t think that detail really mattered to her anymore. Because she had already found her lifelong love. You probably already know that they got married in 1946 and had two wonderful daughters. But you may not know how engaged she was a mother. My mom told me that when she and Pam were kids, Grandma took them to baton twirling lessons. Eventually, they got to march in a parade. And as they marched in the parade with the baton students, Lorraine ran along the sidelines to make sure they were doing okay. It was a good thing, too. Because Teri was the youngest one in the group and couldn’t keep up. So Lorraine scooped her up and carried her to catch up to the group. You also may not know that Grandma had a fun sense of humor with us kids. There’s a few things that come to mind -- and a few that I can’t share at church because Grandma would NOT approve. Here’s one that maybe Jenny and Kelly and David remember too. I think we all spent a night or two or even a week at Grandma and Grandpa’s when we were babies and our parents had a vacation or something. Grandma told us that she would open a drawer on the big dresser in their bedroom upstairs at the farm. She would put a blanket in there and lay us little babies in there to sleep at night. And then she would say, in all seriousness, that if we cried too loudly, she would just gently close that dresser drawer and our cries would be muted. If that didn’t work, a little tiny bit of whiskey might do the trick. I believed that for years as a kid. Of course, Grandma was really more the type of person to stay up all night rocking us in a rocking chair. But she liked to have a little fun with us. Another one of my favorite stories is one that I don’t have a firsthand memory of. Apparently when I was a little kid Grandma was holding me in her arms. I guess I was sick or whiney. But Grandma was there to console me. And then I turned toward her, pulled the pocket on her shirt open and threw up right into her pocket. Pretty gross. Probably annoying. But Grandma took it in stride and just thought it was hilarious, which it was. That was my Grandma. And I’m sure I still only know the half of it. But what I know is that Lorraine was a loving and fun person with a big heart. She was many things to all of us. She was a beautiful woman who turned heads when she walked by. She was a social butterfly, organizing the first outdoor polka services here at Fish Lake Lutheran, dinners with the whole congregation and family reunions. In fact, I saw a letter yesterday from a couple who had spent time with Orville and Lorraine at their home and at the polka service. Here’s some of what she wrote: “Of course we always had a great time at your house or in your company. But Sunday night was one that we won’t forget for some time. First beer and drinks, steak dinner and the movie of the polka service. What we saw and listened to really impressed us. We didn’t realize how great it really was to be there in person with four hundred other people.. Well, Lorraine, we have you to thank for a piece of work well done. That won’t be topped for many a year or maybe ever here at Fish Lake Church. Yes, indeed, every detail was thought of.” She was a loving wife who cooked, cleaned and supported Orville and others who helped out on the farm. She was a designer who maintained a beautiful home. She was a seamstresses who designed and sewed square dance dresses, skirts and shirts… and she patched up what needed mending ---- Even broken hearts. And I think Jenny has a shoebox of letter between her and Grandma that shows just how much she cared about all of us. Lorraine was a loving Mom who raised two beautiful daughters and led their 4-H groups. She was a hard worker who made lifelong friends, including Lorretta and Judy, on the assembly line at the American Can Company. She supported her church -- and she shared any good fortune she had. Lorraine was someone who would be downstairs in this church right now helping comfort all of us with a warm, tasty meal and a big, open heart. She made time for her friends and celebrated their lives with them. I bet a lot of you -- if not all of you -- have received a card or letter from my grandma. She loved to dance. Just look at all those photos of her and Grandpa shaking a leg. My favorite one is kind of blurry -- probably from the 1970s. But you can see Lorraine leaning into Orville. And you can see Orville’s smile. Grandma made the best darn mashed potatoes, corn pudding, ham, sweet potatoes and pies that most of us will ever know. It was so good that Grandpa could never enjoy a restaurant after growing accustomed to Grandma’s cooking. She spoiled her grandkids with affection and fantastic gifts. She shared private moments and a few jokes that I wouldn’t dare tell in church. And she spoiled her great grandkids, Lauren and Peyton. And, if you really think about it, she spoiled all of us with her attention, her smile and her words. She’s my grandma. And I am going to miss her. We all are. --