Lorraine Joyce Minikel's Obituary
Lorraine was born in Walnut Grove, California near Los Angeles and grew up during the glory days of Hollywood. She was tagged as someone with “talent” and got to meet Alan Ladd (and ride in his convertible), audition for the Ziegfield Follies (where they called her “Legs for Days”) and use her talents to win contests and acclaim.
She also used her beautiful singing voice to entertain OSU troops during WW2 when she wasn’t working as a Rosie the Riveter on P38 bomb bay doors.
At 13, Lorraine experienced love at first sight when she met her future husband, Kenneth Minikel at Samuel L. Gompers Jr High. They dated until he was drafted and, with him being shy and never officially proposing, she planned their wedding and sent him an invitation. He said “I guess I’d better buy a suit” and they were happily married for 67 years until his death in 2013.
They moved to St Helens in 1949 and proceeded to become pillars of the community being active in many churches over the years and founding members of Warren Community Fellowship.
If you…
• Admired the love story she shared with her beloved Kenneth...
• Think of cold mornings, stained fingers and “Conehead” yelling at you (or making you laugh) at the crack of dawn when you see a grocery store strawberry…
• Were her “boyfriend” (even though she was 2, 3 or 4x your age)…
• Sang with her in church, a musical, in a grocery store aisle…
• Or heard her sing “The Love of God” at every funeral and wedding in Columbia Co. for decades…
• Went to church, bible study, prayer group, church camp outs and picnics with her…
• Got the lecture about how she didn’t approve of your (haircut, relationship, vocabulary, short skirt, etc.) but LOVED YOU ANYWAY…
• Saw her at the beauty parlor every Friday for forty years…
• Benefited from her infectious smile and ability to listen intently to your stories and troubles and then share some great advice (whether you wanted it or not)...
• Saw the energy of a room change when she came through the door…
• Laughed with her on any and every occasion…
You have a small feeling for her unique energy, love and joy for life. Her one-of-a-kind sparkle will be truly missed by those who love her.
She is survived by her children, Tim and Mandi (LaManda) Minikel, Brother and Sister-in-Law Ralph and Valerie Lauter and Son-in-Law Peter Wigren in addition to many beloved nieces and nephews and “extra kids": Suzette, Rick, Daniel, Christopher, Tim and many more…
What’s your fondest memory of Lorraine?
What’s a lesson you learned from Lorraine?
Share a story where Lorraine's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Lorraine you’ll never forget.
How did Lorraine make you smile?