Sweet Lorane Community News, January 11, 2018

January 11, 2018Newspaper ColumnsCrow Booster Club, Crow High School, Deanne Corcoran, Delores Corcoran, Gloria Edwards, Hunter Heineman, Jacob Brown, Michele Kau, Rorypaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
January 11, 2018
By Pat Edwards

I just heard that a beloved former Lorane resident, Delores Corcoran, passed away recently. She and her husband Vince lived on a 20-acre farm in the Mill Camp area south of Lorane until a few years ago when they decided to downsize. Our daughters, Gloria Edwards and Michele Kau, helped them locate a new and smaller home in town and I’d like to use some of Gloria’s words in this column today.

Delores and Deanne Corcoran

“Sadly, we lost yet another long-time resident of Lorane—Delores Corcoran. Michele and I were blessed to get to know her and we grew to absolutely love both Delores and Vinny (Vincent). I see this picture with Delores and her daughter Deanne and it makes my cry… it is SO reflective of her. She had a beautiful soul and was married to the love of her life. There was no doubt they were each other’s best friend for the 52 years they were married. It brought me so much joy to personally spend time with them during our house hunting adventures! She will be dearly missed. Rest in peace Dolores Corcoran—you were definitely one of the good ones!”

Then, from the Crow Booster Club comes this request for donations: “On December 7, 2017 our high school Cougar Jacob Brown was playing basketball with the Crow High School team at Lowell and suffered a season-ending injury. He required ambulance transportation to the hospital where he was found to have a tibia-fibula compound fracture to his leg (both lower bones in multiple breaks). This required surgical repair, hospitalization, prolonged healing with severe limitations on use and function, multiple medical visits with many more to come to be able to return his prior level of function.

According to the booster club, “We have also learned that unfortunately, many of the medical bills will not be covered by their medical insurance. The Crow Booster Club is initiating a fundraiser for the Brown family to help them through this time. We are collecting donations through the end of January. One hundred percent of all donations designated to the ‘Jacob Brown Fund’ will be provided to the family.

“Any and all donations will make a difference. Checks should be made out to Crow Booster Club and sent to Crow Booster Club, P.O. Box 1228, Veneta OR 97487 or given to a Crow Booster Club member. If you have any questions please send an email to crowboosterclub@yahoo.com or reach out to any Crow Booster Club member.”

Another local fundraiser for the young Veneta boy, Hunter Heineman, who was killed in a recent motor vehicle accident was held at Yukon Jacks in Veneta this past weekend. I have no doubt that our communities will reach out to the families of these young residents. It is so heart-breaking when our children are lost or hurt. We never know when it could be our own.

Rory On a happier note, I have been spending a few days this past week puppy-sitting our little 2-month-old “grandpuppy” named Rory. She belongs to Michele and Brian Kau who recently brought her home from Roseburg. This beautiful, happy, not-so-little soul is a combination Akbash and Border Collie. The Akbash is a large white guardian dog similar to a Great Pyrenees that are used by sheep farmers to guard their herds. She currently looks like a black and white fluff-ball with huge tan eyebrows and she enchants each of us who have gotten to know her. Like all grandkids, we occasionally get her during the days, but can send her home with “mom and dad” at night. It’s been a win-win for now until she’s old enough to be able to spend her days in the big fenced yard around Michele and Brian’s home with Duke while they are at work.

Happy January, all!

Sweet Lorane Community News, January 4, 2018

January 4, 2018Newspaper ColumnsHoliday Market, Jennifer Chambers, Joe Blakely, Lorane Family Store, Lorane Grange, Lorane Movie Night, Lorane Service Station, Mitchell, Oregon Authors, Rural Art Center, Sita Sings the Blues, William Olsonpaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
January 4, 2018
By Pat Edwards

Well, it’s time we leave behind “holiday mode” and return to some kind of normalcy. Our family had a busy-but-great Thanksgiving and Christmas together, but there’s something about settling back into a routine within our comfort zone following the holidays that always appeals to me.

The November and December weekends spent in the company of Joe and Saundra Blakely and Jen Chambers in our Holiday Market booth was very special. We’ve become good friends as well as “Oregon Author” colleagues and we met a lot of people and sold a lot of books, to boot! I was amazed at how much demand there was for my new The Baileys of Bailey Hill book and I ran out of them at the end. I’m trying to get them distributed to local bookstores and libraries now.

The bad part of this holiday season was that so many of us came down with some type of cold, flu or other bug. I was one of them who was a bit quiet on Christmas day. I managed to get the house in order for company, but thank goodness I had a huge volunteer crew of cooks and “bottle washers” on hand to allow me to kick back and watch the dinner and celebration unfold.

I’ve finally got a few things to tell you about that are coming up this month in Lorane, so let’s take a look.

On Saturday, January 13, the Lorane Movie Night, sponsored by the Rural Art Center, will be showing the movie,”Sita Sings the Blues” (2009). It is an animated film which has “received rave critical reviews.” It’s been described as “a tale of truth, justice, and a woman’s cry for equal treatment” created by Nina Paley. It’s the story of Sita, an Indian goddess, combined with parallel scenes from Paley’s own life and features music by jazz singer, Annette Hanshaw.

For times, prices and program events, go to the RAC website at https://www.ruralartcenter.org/movie-night

The Lorane Grange’s Dinner and Bingo Night will resume on Saturday, January 27. Dinner usually begins at 5:30 p.m. and bingo follows at 6:30 p.m. It’s a fun evening for the whole family.

Jim and I have been observing the recent 40th anniversary of the Lorane Family Store by providing a history of not only it, but of the Lorane Service Station, aka The Mitchell Store, that preceded it. There have only been two owners of the grocery store—the Mitchell family and the Edwards family—through its history. We purchased the store in December 1977 from the Mitchells who established it in 1934.

I have included a couple of stories about the history of the store on my website. The first is a story of the Mitchell Store written in 2008 by Bill Mitchell’s great-grandson, William Olsen. It is followed by the history that I included in From Sawdust and Cider to Wine which I have updated a bit for this purpose.

They can be found on my website at https://allthingslorane.com/lorane-interests/. Also, there are several old pictures of the store posted on the Lorane, Oregon Facebook page for those who enjoy the nostalgia.

Happy New Year, All!

Sweet Lorane Community News, December 21, 2017

December 21, 2017Newspaper ColumnsDennis Mitchell, Lorena Mitchellpaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
December 21, 2017
By Pat Edwards

The community of Lorane has lost one of its most beloved residents—Dennis Mitchell— this past week. His death impacts the whole community. The Mitchell family goes back several generations in Lorane. Each of them—Dennis and Lorena, especially—have made an impact over the years. They have both been long-time community members who have helped bond the families in the area into a true “community.” Dennis was not only an astute businessman and logger, he was caring, active and respected throughout his life. He served for 15 years on the Lorane and the Crow-Applegate-Lorane school boards and was an active member of the Oregon Loggers’ Association which named him “Oregon’s Logger of the Year” in 2002.

He and Lorena were married for 67 years.

Some of the comments posted to the Lorane Facebook page include:

“He was a very nice man who always waved at us in passing. What a loss for sure.”
“Blessings to the Mitchell family during this difficult time. He’s sawing logs with the angels.”
“He had a great impact on so many.”
“Dennis Mitchell and Joe Brewer where the first two neighbor’s my wife and I met when we moved to Lorane. Both were caring people and now both are gone. A personal loss as well as a loss for the community. Godspeed, Dennis, and thank you for being so kind.”
“I remember him taking his left hand off the wheel and pointing off into space with his little stoic grin as he drove by my mom’s farm when I was a kid… every single time. Definitely will be missed.”
“The hello waves were a constant. His presence and influence in the area is a blessing that will not fade.”

Dennis will definitely be missed, and Jim’s and my sincere condolences go out to Lorena and the rest of the Mitchell family at this time.

Happy New Year to all! Best wishes for a bright future as individuals, our communities, our country and our world!

A Little Bit of Lorane’s History: (written in 2006)
“In 1942, Charlie and Lucille (Mitchell) bought the ranch belonging to her father, Ed Addison, and later bought the land adjoining it to the southeast. Charlie raised sheep and registered Hereford cattle on the ranches. In the 1940s, he began logging for himself, eventually going into partnership with his son, Dennis. Charlie and Lucille had three sons, Dennis, Gary Addison and Russell D. Mitchell.

“Dennis married Lorena Tew and they had four children, Bob, Debra, Lloyd and Carol. Two of them still reside in Lorane. Bob Mitchell and his wife Emily had two children, Cory, who works in the logging business with his dad, and Callie. Lloyd also makes his home in Lorane on the Mitchell farm, as does Bob and Emily.

“Dennis and Lorena’s two daughters have moved from the area. Debra lives in Anchorage, Alaska, and Carol resides in Cottage Grove where she runs The Flower Basket floral business that she owns jointly with her mother.

“After Charlie’s death in 1970, Dennis bought out his father’s share of the business and is still running the logging operation in partnership with Bob and Lloyd.”

From Sawdust and Cider to Wine (2006) by Pat Edwards