Lorraine Wentzlaff

Obituary

With sadness we announce that Lorraine Ann Wentzlaff (nee Pitzner) passed on July 13, 2024. May she rest in peace. She was born June 30, 1929, in Linden Township of Brown County, to Albert & Lydia (nee Podratz) Pitzner and baptized 7/21/1929, by Pastor G. Hinnenthal. She attended St. Paul’s Lutheran School in New Ulm. After moving to the Gaylord farm, she went to Immanuel Lutheran School, and was confirmed on 4/18/1943, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Gaylord, by Pastor H. Winter. She graduated from Gaylord High School in 1947, then finished secretarial training at the Minnesota School of Business in 1948.

Lorraine met her future husband “Al” (Ellsworth O.) Wentzlaff in early 1945, when she was 15 years old. Al helped build a barn at the Albert & Lydia Pitzner farm. They began dating in late 1947 and were married October 2, 1948, by Pastor E. Stahlke, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Gaylord. The couple moved from construction job-to-job, as Al was a brick layer, mason, and foreman. They traveled in a 1949 Pontiac pulling a silver Airstream to: Grand Island, NE; Huron/Millbank/Sioux Falls, SD; Totavi, NM (near Los Alamos National Lab); Monterey, CA; and Ivanhoe/Minneapolis/Ortonville/Willmar, MN.

In 1954 they settled on a farm in Dryden Twp, north of Gaylord, so their kids could attend school. When younger, they enjoyed dancing with friends and held big farm gatherings with family from AK, CA, IL, MN, NC, NY, OH, TX, & Canada. They made trips to visit their kids’ families in AK, CA, NY, TX, & Ontario Canada (north of Lake Superior). They helped their kids either build or renovate their homes in AK, MN, & NY. They helped Warren with farm work. The couple were Arizona snowbirds for years, where they socialized and went sightseeing with family and friends.

Over the years, Lorraine worked at McLeod Coop Power, Midwest Beech, Green Giant factory in Glencoe, Fingerhut in Gaylord, Gaylord Hub as typesetter for about 12 years, as Election Official, and as Census worker. Her church and civic activities included Ladies Aid, Altar Guild, Dryden Township Clerk in Sibley County (12 years), and Forever Young Senior Center. She was a farm worker/housewife/huge gardener: canned & preserved food, and had an artistic flare with flowers, cacti, & rock. She enjoyed playing cards, Scrabble, and reading. She sewed and mended family clothes and made many patchwork quilts for family & charity.

The couple were blessed with and survived by 7 children, 12 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren including: 
Daughter, Ann Tillman and her children, Grant (Jessica) Poehler, Rochelle Poehler, Adam (Kailee) Chiang; •Daughter, Rose Wentzlaff; •Daughter, Sue (Jeff Knutson) Wentzlaff and their children, Mike (Raquel) Knutson, Dan Knutson; •Son, Ellsworth A. (Cindy) Wentzlaff Jr. and their children, Allan (Natalie) Wentzlaff; •Daughter, Louise (Doug) Stefurak and their children, Kirk Stefurak, Sally Lynn (Mike) Glena, Aaron Stefurak (Justina Pelto); •Son, Warren Wentzlaff; •Daughter, Sally Galena and her children, Sofia Lorraine (Jimmy Burt), Zachary Rademacher (Grace Jeurissen), Emily (Evan) Lee; 15 great-grandchildren,   Danica, Jayde, Callie, Hailey, Milo, Charlee, Beau, Kyle, Kayden, Wyatt, Anastasia, Jukka, Lumi, Layla, Audrey; Brother, Willard (MaryAnn) Pitzner.

She was preceded in death by Parents, Albert and Lydia Pitzner, Spouse, Al on their 56th wedding anniversary (10/2/2004), Brothers, Elmer (Grace) Pitzner and Fred (Betty) Pitzner.