Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
September 24, 2015
By Pat Edwards
I must begin this column once again with some sad news about the loss of another of our long-time Lorane residents. Charlotte Mitchell passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, September 19. This beautiful lady, loved by so many, was seen outside in her yard that morning, talking to her husband Bill out in their huge vegetable garden. Late that afternoon, she suffered a heart attack that took her almost immediately. Jim was told later by one of her sons that not too many days before, Charlotte asked him to give her a first-time-ever ride on his motorcycle. She was thrilled to be checking one more thing off of her bucket list.
Charlo
tte was a tiny woman who stood tall because of her energy, compassion and community spirit. She was a long-time member of the Lorane Rebekah Lodge and was on hand to host most of the senior lunches and run the afternoon’s entertainment each Thursday.
Jim and I have known Charlotte and Bill for a long, long time. We bought the store from the Mitchell family in 1977, and I remember when Charlotte was helping Stell to run it following her father-in-law, Bill Mitchell, Sr.’s, death. We have such good memories of a fantastic lady and a whole family who took us under their wing and trusted us with the family store!
Unfortunately, Charlotte’s passing is not the only sad news to report this week. One of our favorite Lorane people, Lloyd Porter, suffered a major stroke the day after Charlotte’s death. As of this writing, Lloyd is still in ICU at RiverBend where he is in therapy to regain the use of his left side and his speech. Lloyd and his wife Jeri Porter are very much involved in Lorane community activities and it’s so hard to have another one of our special people laid low – we hope, temporarily – by health issues. Lloyd is allowed to have visitors despite being in ICU from what I’ve been told, and I know that he would enjoy a card or short visit to let him know that we are with him in his journey to recovery.
A local woman, Chris Starfire, has posted to the Lorane Facebook page that she is in need of some extra winter squash or pie pumpkins. Here’s her message: “Does any have (or will have) any spare eating/pie pumpkins or other winter squash? My garden completely failed this year and I was hoping to fill the freezer with lots of pumpkin/squash puree to see me through the winter since it’s one of the few vegetables I’m not allergic to. I’d be delighted to share out (50/50) the finished product (which would be frozen rather than pressure canned) with anyone who’d like to contribute their spares. Contact me at paedwards42@yahoo.com and I’ll put you in contact with Chris… or even better, go to our FB page and respond directly to her.
Our new Groundwaters 2015: An Anthology issue is complete. Pre-ordered copies can be picked up at the Groundwaters Live! program to take place on Tuesday, October 13 at the Fern Ridge Library beginning at 7:00 p.m. Stop by to hear some reading from the book by some of our West Lane authors, enjoy some snacks and visit with some of your favorite authors and poets!!
All Things Lorane 