Lorraine Toedter
Lorraine ‘Lorrie’Alice Toedter, 86, of Staples, passed away peacefully on March 3, 2022, at Lakewood Health System Hospital in Staples.
Services were held March 8 at the Staples Alliance Church in Staples with Pastors Zach Jones and Paul Johnson officiating.
Lorrie was born December 18, 1935, to Louis and Alice (Amundsen) Kercho in Chicago, Illinois.
She came to faith in her Savior Jesus Christ while attending Northwest Alliance Church. Lorrie attended North Park and North Central Colleges, graduating with an elementary teaching degree and began teaching primary grades in the Chicago area. On Dec. 22, 1962, Lorrie was united in marriage to Wendel Toedter, a U.S. Naval sailor from a farming background whom she met on a blind date, arranged by Wendel’s high school classmate Clayton Grondahl. They figure that Lorrie’s income tax that year paid Wendel’s salary. Together they had five children.
Lorrie was a gifted teacher in many capacities throughout her life. Though her public school career yielded to full-time home making, she continued to teach children in Sunday School, Good News Bible Clubs, later substitute teaching and tutoring. In everything she did, she taught. Anyone who spent time with her mentioned learning from her.
She shared in Wendel’s Navy career, setting up house in a number of states: Connecticut (twice), Hawaii, and Oklahoma, with a few months in Chicago and lastly in five locations in Staples. Lorrie provided a stable foundation for family while Wendel was at sea. No small task for a woman from civilian background to learn and adapt to military life, but Lorrie did so in a way that gave Wendel confidence that she was capable. She weathered shoveling a long driveway, gardening, wells going dry, releasing the groundhog from a trap Wendel set before leaving on patrol and single parenting while Wendel was deployed at sea for months at a time. She shouldered the responsibility that included two-month periods that permitted no communication from Wendel and she could only send six 18-word messages, receiving no response. During one of these times, she had the test of a car door left ajar by a young daughter and when backing out of the garage to attend church, the door swung open, glass shattering as it hit the wall. Lorrie found a friend who helped her tie the door shut to get to a repair shop. And then there was the challenge of sharing the leadership of the home when Wendel returned.
Wherever she lived, she was involved in her church women’s missionary group, Bible studies and prayer. She was quick to set her table for many who were away from family on a holiday or Sunday meal. Her home was a welcoming place for younger military wives who saw her as a mentor. Between church choirs or missionaries, military friends and visitors, Lorrie’s gift of hospitality flourished. A highlight and source of practical and spiritual support and fellowship was the weekly gathering of OCF (Officers Christian Fellowship) Bible Studies. Other officers’ wives and church community provided support also.
Lorrie was glad that, although her father discouraged travel abroad before she had seen the U.S., she joined a college trip to Europe, maintaining contact with those whose homes she stayed in. Opportunities to travel with Wendel while he was in the Navy included trips to the Midwest to see family, driving with two young girls across country to meet Wendel’s sub in Washington state, and returning cross country with him. She was able to join him in travelling to Hong Kong and Japan. They travelled to Christian Officer conferences as well as educational trips as a family. A particular highlight was in the summer Wendel retired from Naval service and before the internet, Lorrie planned a family trip to Europe, taking their chance with flying “space available” on military flights. She took German through adult ed to prepare for meeting Wendel’s relatives and travel in Germany. Other highlights of that trip were attending an international conference of military officers, renting a VW camper, finding her relative in Norway who wrote her parents for over 30 years prior. They stayed in homes of friends Lorrie had made years ago on her college trip. In fact, wherever she traveled, she often stayed in homes of family or friends met through the years.
Travel after the Navy included visits to Hungary and seeing her father’s hometown and bakery where he was apprenticed, to Pine Ridge, SD and Brattleboro, VT to see their daughters and grandchildren.
For many years, Lorrie looked forward to reconnecting with military friends as they gathered at White Sulfur Springs retreat center each spring and fall in Pennsylvania to prepare and close the facility for the season. Lorrie and Wendel also travelled in the U.S. as they did some caretaking of peoples’ homes.
In October of 1974, Lorrie’s world was changed and enriched with the birth of a son, Wally. She embraced his challenge of having Down Syndrome with immediately advocating for him and many others with similar challenges. Right after his birth, Lorrie joined the local equivalent of ARC and got to work on Wally’s education. She told her daughters about his having an extra chromosome as soon as he was home, as well as explaining that he was more alike than different, that he could learn, though may be slower. Lorrie was blessed by a supportive doctor and incentivized to show others how well those with challenges could learn. Wally’s birth came a few weeks earlier than expected and Wendel was still at sea. Lorrie overcame the resistance of the Navy to send a message to Wendel’s commanding officer about Wally having Down Syndrome due to their concern it could affect Wendel’s performance. Lorraine was watchful for troubling signs of Wally’s heart condition, only diagnosed at three months and eventually walked through several long hospitalizations with Wally - pneumonia, stroke, brain aneurism. When Wally moved to a group home, Lorrie continued to work with organizations for the education and inclusion of people with physical and mental challenges.
Lorrie valued time with extended family, since much of her life was lived far from them. Upon moving to Staples, she gave notable time and attention to her elderly in-laws and church friends.
Ever learning, Lorrie taught herself to make jelly and jam, freeze and can, promote health by cutting back on sugar and adding wheat germ. She enjoyed watching and identifying birds near her homes, baking, sewing, reading, jigsaw puzzles, attending local plays and music programs and a good parade. At times she kept her bowling skills sharp by participating in local leagues. Her hands were continually busy, depending on the season, with cross stitching, crocheting, needle point, quilt squares, creating many hand crafts and in her later years she spent her days occupied with crossword puzzles. Lorrie loved to give gifts and blessed many people with homemade gifts and meals. At the Pines, Lorrie enjoyed weekly Bingo, looking forward to a prize of Raisinettes. Many evenings throughout her life Lorrie enjoyed a good-sized bowl of softened ice cream.
She is survived by her faithful husband of 59 years, Wendel; two daughters, Laura (Paul) Burdo and Andrea (Ron) Pond; nine grandchildren, Anthony (Tatum), Jonathon (Grace), Daniel (Jesse), Elijah, Aimee (Lyle), Jay, Brooke (Jhamel), Kal’el and Louise; three great-grandchildren, Justice, Connor, and Ze’Niyah; numerous brothers and sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews.
Lorrie is preceded in death by her parents; one son, Walter; two infants, Anne Marie and Baby Boy Toedter; one sister, Jean Jacobson and one brother, Walter Kercho.
Arrangements were by the Brenny Family Funeral Chapel, Staples.
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