Lorraine (Zeren) Utter formerly of New England, died of congestive heart failure at Lewiston, Idaho on Tuesday, July 2, 2013. Lorraine’s Mass of Christian Burial will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in New England on Monday, July 8, 2013 at 2 p.m., with Fr. Charles as the celebrant. Interment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, with a lunch to follow the service.
Lorraine’s eight children and many grandchildren celebrated her life at a 90th birthday weekend in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The night of her party one of her grandchildren asked her why she was so sweet, and that remark epitomizes our feelings about her. Most important in her life were her children and grandchildren. She loved her babies so much, and she passed that on to all of her children. She was a wonderful homemaker and cook and was known for her cheese kuchen, a recipe given her by her mother. Her caramel rolls and cookies, especially sour cream, were loved by all. A family joke was that she thought all her cooking benefited by a good dose of farm cream, vegetables included. She raised a huge garden and proudly preserved many veggies and fruit. She always counted the jars and packages as she stored them away. She was never too busy to “whip up” yet another garment on her sewing machine. She taught her children to cook, babysit and clean with a tooth brush and paring knife.
Lorraine graduated from St. Mary’s High School at New England, in 1934. After graduation she worked at the Von Drashek variety store for two years. She then married Arvin Utter who had come to town to manage a Gamble Store. They were married at St. Mary’s Church on November 16, 1936 and danced the night away at Blum’s Bar and Dance Hall. She became the bookkeeper for the family business, and her children all remember the sound of the adding machine every single Sunday night as she did the week’s books. She frequently helped out clerking and cleaning at the store. She moved to Lemon in 1970 to help her husband start a new store and then back to New England in 1972 where she took a job as a cashier at the American State Bank until she retired in 1982. She was a loyal member of St. Mary’s Altar Guild helping with all the church activities. Her religion was very important to her and she saw to it that her children went to daily Mass during Lent and to weekly Confession. She prayed her rosary every night. Her community activities included Bridge Club and Homemakers. After her grandchildren came she was ready to babysit at a moment’s notice, and they all have fond memories of spending time at Grandma’s house. In1989 she moved to Rapid City, S.D. where she was a member of Blessed Sacrament church and a Bridge Club that she fully enjoyed all except for the times when she lost at cards. She always enjoyed playing cards and eating Almond Roca at family gatherings.
She moved to Lewiston, Idaho in 2008 where she spent her last years in the same town as her daughter Sandy Gordon and son Joe Utter.
Lorraine was preceded in death by her husband, Arvin in 1990, by her siblings, Arthur, Loyd, Sylvester, and Sister Eleanore SSND and grandson Paul Finnegan, 82nd Airborne who was killed as the result of a midair incident. She is survived by one brother, Leo Zeren of Dickinson; as well as daughter, Vaudeth Oberlander (Harold) Rapid City – grandchildren: Hal Oberlander (Leona), Mary McManigle (Kevin), Caroline Bach (Ulf), Patricia Riter (Dale), Kei Oberlander (Sheryll); daughter Arva Frank (Robert) Corvallis, Ore. – grandchildren: Kirsten Duncan, Drew Frank; daughter Ardyce Cronin, Fort Collins, Colo. – grandchildren: Kelley Hinz, Jay Cronin, Michael Cronin; daughter Eleanore Hartzheim (George) Bozeman, Mont. – grandchildren: Juli Stutz, Katie Romer; son, Chuck Utter (Phyllis) Broomfield, Colo. – grandchildren: Megan Silberhorn, Joe Utter, Annie Utter; daughter Cali Letts (Mike) Salt Lake City, Utah– grandchild Collin Letts; daughter Sandra Gordon (Gary), Lewiston, Idaho – grandchildren: Joy Ulrich, Luke Gordon; and son Joe Utter (Jill) Lewiston, Idaho – grandchildren: Danny Utter, Lindsey Utter; and 32 great-grandchildren.
