Lorraine Elouise Spies was born and raised in Elizabeth, Minnesota. She worked on the family farm milking cows. In her twenties she rode the train to Oregon with her father, in search of another farm. They settled in Silverton, where she worked at Steelhammer Drug as a soda jerk. She loved it and talked about it many times over the years.
Lorraine met her future husband, Walter Duda, at a local dance. They wed in 1950 and were happily married 45 years. Their first home was close to the family farm, most notable for its two-hole outhouse. A few years later they moved into their permanent home and raised four children. She cooked many meals for her family and farm workers and remembered delivering summer sausage sandwiches on homemade bread, with ice cold milk or homemade root beer to the barnyard. Her dinner table was always full and with room for one more.
She was a lifelong member of the Catholic Daughters and Marion County Dairy Wives. She enjoyed making friendship bags filled with toiletries for soldiers to hand to children overseas. She made countless loaves of bread for St. Mary’s bake sales. She volunteered at the election polls and took much pride in her work at the Benedictine Nursing Center, sitting with the dying, taking residents to Mass and wheelchair square dancing. She liked crocheting, playing cansta, solitaire, and puzzles.
Lorraine passed surrounded by family. She is preceded in death by husband, Walter; her father, Francis Spies; mother, Anna (Gander) Spies; and brother, Frankie Spies.
She is survived by her daughters, Virginia (Alan) Ringo and Mary Duda; sons, Joe (Pam) Duda and John (Lori) Duda; seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Honorary sons include Bob Duda and Mike Bradley.
Her family wishes to thank all of her caregivers and Willamette Valley Hospice for their invaluable support and services.
Services were held Feb. 18 at St. Mary’s Church in Mount Angel.
