Marjorie Adele Lora

Marj was born to Earl and Emily Boyer in Flagstaff, Arizona. She was raised in Tuba City, a small town in the Navajo Nation. Her parents managed the Tuba City Trading Post located in the center of town. Tuba City was the hub of all western Navajo activities. The trading post included the US Post Office, where Marj’s aunt Mina was the Postmaster. The trading post also had rooms to rent to travelers visiting the Grand Canyon. She spent her childhood years helping around the trading post, playing with Navajo children in her neighborhood and riding her horse she called Toy. Marj had an older brother, Ronald Deans.

Because Tuba City didn’t have a high school in the 1940’s Marj and Ronald both went to Wasatch Academy, a boarding school in Mount Pleasant, Utah, 365 miles away. Due to the great distance between her home and the academy, Marj and her brother would only come home for Christmas, Easter, and summer vacations. After she graduated from Wasatch, Marj attended vocational training to become a Dental Assistant. During the winter of 1948 Marj was working for Dr. Thomas, DDS, in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, her preferred vocation was Homemaker, Wife, and Mother and she excelled at all three.

Marj was a homemaker for more than 70 years. She and Donald Lora raised two sons, William ‘Bill’ Lora, and Mark Lora in their historic Westchester (Bakersfield) home. In addition to her homemaker duties, Marj loved tending to her Camellia and Rose gardens. She kept her yard as impeccable as she kept her home.

The Lora family attended First Christian Church, in Downtown Bakersfield. Later they attended University Baptist Church where Don was the Music Director and Marj sang in the choir for many years. Later they transferred membership to Valley Baptist Church where she and Don were active members of the Choir. One highlight of their Choir activities was a December trip to Jerusalem to sing at a special event with other Valley Baptist singers. Marj also enjoyed the Balcony Women group at Valley Baptist.

In addition to church activities, Marj participated in a bowling league. She enjoyed golf, walking and bicycle riding. Occasionally she and Don would join friends on fishing trips in the Eastern Sierras. They were particularly fond of the June Lake Loop area.

Together, Don and Marj traveled around the United States then later abroad to Italy and Israel.

Marj was preceded in death by her parents, her son Bill, her brother Ron, and her husband Don.

Marj is survived by her son Mark and his wife Doris, daughter-in- law Teresa Henry and her husband Frank. Marj was blessed with and survived by three grandchildren: Andrew Lora, Raisa Lora, Allyson (Lora) Heath and five great-grandchildren: Grace, Kennedy, Isla, Miller and Benjamin.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hillcrestmemorial.com for the Lora family.