Lorraine Laverne Lehr
Lorraine Laverne Lehr, 94, Woonsocket formerly of Alpena, died Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at Prairie View Healthcare Center, Woonsocket. Funeral services will be at 10:30 AM Monday, February 13, 2023 at the United Parish Church of Alpena. Burial will be in Rest Haven Cemetery, Alpena. Visitation will be from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Sunday, February 12, 2023 at Will Funeral Chapel, Mitchell.
Lorraine LaVerne (Pfeifer) Lehr was born on January 18, 1929 to Jacob and Elizabeth (Losing) Pfeifer near Herreid, SD. She attended country school until 6th grade when the family moved to Wessington Springs. She graduated from Wessington Springs High School in 1946. Following school she went to work at the Pierre Capitol for the summer. That winter she furthered her education at the Mitchell Business College. She worked as a secretary/bookkeeper in Mitchell for several years. She then moved to Minneapolis and worked as a stenographer at a bank for three years.
Lorraine and Ellwood Lehr were united in marriage on July 3rd, 1959 in Wessington Springs. They farmed in the Alpena area and after several years moved to the farm east of Alpena where they remained for forty years. They retired to Mitchell in 2005. In July of 2011 after 52 years of marriage, Ellwood passed away from a long battle with cancer. Lorraine moved to Countryside Living in 2013. She enjoyed her time there but as a battle with dementia progressed, she required more help. Prairie View became her home in 2020 after COVID progressed her illness further. Lorraine was an active member of the United Church of Christ in Alpena which is now the United Parish of Alpena. Lorraine filled in playing the piano for church for many years. She also was a member of the Women’s Church Circle and the American Legion Auxiliary. She also kept busy on the farm raising a large garden every year which she canned and used all year long. Lorraine enjoyed having animals on the farm and had a special love of kittens. She was a wonderful cook with her specialty being the family’s favorite - homemade chocolate pie.
Grateful for having shared her life are her children - son David of Kimball, son Keith (Carol) of Mitchell, and daughter Brenda (Robert) Schmit of Artesian; 7 grandchildren: Nathan Wilson, Kara Lehr, Taryn (Adam) Ragels, Brenden Lehr, Allison (Matthew) Adema, Jessica (Nathan) Dawson, and Katie Schmit; 4 great-grandchildren: Olivia, Sophia, Grayson Adema, and Lucas Dawson; brother Vern (Jeanette) Pfeifer, Sauk Centre, MN; and many nieces and nephews.
Lorraine was preceded in death by her husband Ellwood; infant daughter Diane Marie; daughter-in-law Sarah Lehr; her parents Jacob and Elizabeth Pfeifer; brother Jack Pfeifer.
