Lorraine Spoelstra

LORRAINE A. SPOELSTRA was born to Rudolph and Clara (Zeug) Wagner on September 14, 1934 in Lucan, Minnesota. She attended elementary school in Lucan and Jr. High and High School at St. Anne's Catholic School in Wabasso, Minnesota, graduating from there in 1952. From there she went to Mankato State University in Mankato, Minnesota, earning a 2 year degree in Home Economics. On November 5, 1958 she married Leon Spoelstra at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Lucan. Following their marriage they farmed near Hadley, Minnesota. In 1964 they moved to a farm north of Woodstock, Minnesota, where they farmed for several years and Lorraine worked part time as a Bookkeeper at Fecker's in Pipestone, Minnesota for a brief time. In 1971, they purchased a farm two miles west of Woodstock. They farmed there and she worked occasionally as a bookkeeper at the New Life Treatment Center in Woodstock until their retirement in November, 1995 when they moved to Pipestone, Minnesota. In 2006, ten years after her husband's death, Lorraine moved to Syracuse, New York, to be near her son and his family. She died at Francis House in Syracuse on Wednesday, January 4, 2012, at the age of 77 years, 3 months, and 21 days.

Lorraine was always active in the Catholic Church and received the sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation and Matrimony at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Lucan. As a young girl she was a member of The Young Ladies' Sodality, a religious society of the parish which fostered a devotion to Mary that would manifest itself in personal holiness and Catholic action and social activities. She was also active in the Lucan We Can 4H Club at this time. As a member of St. Anne's Catholic Church in Slayton, St. Martin's Catholic Church in Woodstock and St. Leo's Catholic Church in Pipestone she regularly worked at the parish dinners. She was a member of a Charismatic Prayer Group and Ecumenical Bible Study in Pipestone. In Syracuse she attended Holy Cross Church in Dewitt and Most Holy Rosary Church in Syracuse. Lorraine also enjoyed singing, cooking, baking, sewing, knitting, painting and other crafts and served as Den Mother for the Cub Scout Troop in Ruthton, Minnesota.

She is lovingly remembered by her son, James Spoelstra and his wife Rhonda of Syracuse, New York; three grandchildren, Marie, Kathryn and Joseph of Syracuse; sister, Donna Kramer of Redwood Falls, Minnesota; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leon; and parents, Rudolph and Clara Wagner.