Lorene Karrels, 77, of La Grande, a former North Powder resident, died Feb. 4, 2001, at the Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande.
Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Island City Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Dedication of the grave and interment will be at the North Powder Cemetery. Visitations will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Daniels Chapel of the Valley and from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Friday at the church.
Mrs. Karrels was born on June 27, 1923, at North Powder to Stonewall Jackson and Allie Gorham. She grew up in North Powder. She married Otto H. Karrels at North Powder on July 8, 1939.
She loved life and her family very much and was always raising a garden and many flowers, which she was always giving away. She loved to play games with her family and was good at winning. During the early 1950s she was a 4-H leader.
Mrs. Karrels was a nurse’s aide in the maternity ward of the St. Joseph Hospital from 1975 until it closed. She loved working with the babies. After the closure of St. Joseph Hospital in La Grande she worked for two years at Grande Ronde Hospital.
Mrs. Karrels was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was the secretary for the Relief Society and Sunday school. She also enjoyed bowling and bowled on a league team for many years until the old bowling alley closed.
Survivors include her sons, Alex Karrels and Ted Karrels, both of La Grande; daughters, Wynette Williamson of Cove and Linda Huck of La Grande; 15 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; a brother, Noel Gorham of California and Marlin De Haas of Corvallis; sisters, Olive Craig of La Grande, Audrey Yarber of Myrtle Creek and Marleen Bowman of Oregon; and other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Otto; an infant son; a grandson, Otto O’Brien; sister, Lena Fuchs; and brothers, Gordon and Owen Gorham.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Huntington Chorea’s Disease Association or the charity of one’s choice through Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande, Ore., 97850.
Used with permission from: The Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, February 9, 2001
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor