Lorraine Nardinger

Lorraine Ann (Oehrlein) Nardinger, 96, of Great Falls, passed away from natural causes at a local care facility on Sunday, June 9, 2013.A vigil service is being held at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 14, 2013, at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel.Funeral liturgy is 10:00am on Saturday June 15, 2013 at Holy Family Chapel (2816 Central Ave, Great Falls, MT.)Cremation has taken place under the direction of Schnider Funeral Home.After inurnment, a luncheon will be held at Schnider Funeral Home.Lorraine was born September 6, 1916 in St Anthony, Minnesota, the home of Lake Wobegon.She was born to William and Clara (Voss) Oehrlein.She was the second oldest of thirteen children and grew up on the family dairy farm.In St Anthony, she completed the course of study through the "public" schools of Minnesota. At age nineteen she went to Los Angeles with an aunt and uncle where she completed a 60 hour course in English (her first language was German).She returned to Minnesota with her sister, Delores and together they attended and graduated with honors from the Brady and Rogers School of Beauty Culture in 1939.She started her own beauty shop in St Paul which was very successful.She married Allen Vincent Nardinger in July of 1943.Shortly following her wedding, she and Allen traveled to Great Falls by train where he had found work at the East Base (Malmstrom AFB). She often talked of this trip with the train full of soldiers, many sitting on wooden boxes in the aisles.Upon arriving in GF, completely covered in dust, she stepped off at the train station to a world completely different from that which she had just left.In spite of all of this, she said she never regretted coming out to Montana.Lorraine and Allen raised their six children in Great Falls.She was devoted to her family and Catholicism, and enjoyed singing in the choir at St Anns Cathedral for more than thirty years.A member of the Catholic Daughters, she received a fifty year pin.She always enjoyed an adventure and made three trips to mainland Europe and Ireland.She used to say that she wouldve liked to have been a fireman.Lorraine was preceded in death by her husband, Allen, in June of 2004; parents; and several siblings.Of her twelve siblings, she is survived by her brothers, Wilford (Myrna), James (Valeria), and William (Mary); a sister Marlene (Dale); and a sister-in-law Alice.She is also survived by her children, Dan (Susie), David (Pam), Myrl (Bonnie), Maureen, Madella and Annette.There are also fourteen grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren.Mom and Grandma will be greatly missed.Her grandchildren will always remember her great pumpkin pie, which was always ready when they arrived, the best buttermilk pancakes, tea parties, and the frequent bribes with five dollars.In her memory, donations can be made to Peace Hospice, 1101 26th St. S., Great Falls, MT 59405.