Lorraine was born on June 30, 1926, in her parent’s home on 45th and Fremont to Chester and Rose Smith. She had an older sister Betty Jane. Lorraine loved to play with her neighborhood friends and her lifelong best friend, Betty Lou Russell. Both attended and graduated from Grant High school.
While Lorraine was in school she loved to dance. On dates she would frequently go to Janzen Beach. At Janzen Beach there were big-name bands at the Golden Canopy Ballroom. It was a sunken ballroom with rotating overhead lights that bathed the dancers in constantly changing beams.
Lorraine and Dee’s relationship began when they became acquainted at one of their parents’ mutual ice cream socials. Dee proposed to Lorraine while on leave before going overseas during WW II. They married after he came home from the war in May 1946. They raised their family in a home they had built across the street from his parents, Ted and May Yoder. They had two daughters, Jeannine and Sandra.
The family cherished spending time together at the beach with long walks along the ocean edge and having fun searching for seashells.
Lorraine was an excellent cook. She especially loved to bake and she made sure the cookie jar was always full. Dee had a real “sweet tooth” and sugar cookies were his favorite. She, also, baked homemade bread. Lorraine would put the dough in the oven just before Dee got home from work so the house would smell wonderful when he walked up the back stairs into the kitchen.
Lorraine loved to sew for her daughters and later for her grandchildren. She would make tiny kimono robes when her girls were babies. As her daughters grew, she made dresses, skirts, and jackets, semi-formals and prom dresses. She specialized in bridal gowns. Women would hire Lorraine to sew their wedding and bridal party gowns. She made her daughters their wedding gowns.
Family traditions have kept the Yoder family close through the generations. Every winter Dee and Lorraine crossed country skied at Mount Bachelor with their daughters and grandchildren, Tiffany, Jamie and Brianna. During the summer they would spend time at the Sunriver Resort riding bicycles and hiking. On the Fourth of July the entire Yoder family gathered for their favorite tradition, a potluck picnic lunch, hiking and making old fashion homemade ice cream.
Lorraine did community service by volunteering to drive patients to their appointments at the hospital. Lorraine was a Deacon and Elder for Westminster Presbyterian Church and served on various committees. Lorraine volunteered for ten years as a leader for Blue Birds and Camp Fire Girls. She participated in a synchronized swimming group for many years.
Lorraine’s smile was beautiful and frequent. She had a lovely outgoing personality and spoke to everyone she passed. She loved people and in return they loved her. She will be greatly missed by family and friends.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, April 13, 2018 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Portland with a reception to follow at the church. Remembrances may be made in Lorraine’s name to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
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