Lorna Kortum Obituary

Lorna Kay Kortum departed this earthly realm in the wee hours of Saturday April 26, 2025 at her Ellensburg, Washington home with family near her side. She left behind "footprints on the sands of time" molded by love, music, and resiliency. Lorna was three years shy of 100 years old, a goal her mother achieved in 2001.

Born in Big Timber, Montana on November 19, 1927 to Ralph and Katherine (Kerns) Lovelace, Lorna and her sister Margie Jo were raised by a rancher father and a school teacher mother near Colstrip, Montana. Her parents raised cattle, sheep, horses and crops of every kind.

Similar to little Laura in "Little House on the Prairie" Lorna had many ranch chores, no indoor plumbing, a coal stove, and Saturday night baths in a big steel basin tub. As an adventurous child she roamed the sandstone-dotted prairie picking wildflowers and creating imaginative stories to amuse herself. Lorna loved animals. Much to her mother's dismay she would cuddle up and sleep with little chicks in bed.

After being homeschooled by her mother, Lorna attended public schools in Rosebud County, Montana. She excelled at reading and was often chosen by the teacher to read aloud to her classmates captivating them with adventures from The X-Bar-X Boys series. She graduated from Hardin High School in 1946 and soon attended Montana State University in Bozeman, living in Hamilton Hall, a women's dormitory. As a freshman she blossomed into a popular young woman due to her attractive personality and sparkling brown eyes. It was there on a blind date she met her future husband, Harold Kortum, a handsome young man newly discharged from the Merchant Marines. On December 23, 1947 they were married at her parents' ranch, framed by ponderosa pines and sandstone buttes. That day was also memorable for the warm Chinook winds that melted the early winter snow.

With Harold's ties to the Pacific Northwest they first settled in Vanport, Oregon-tragically destroyed by a flood on May 30, 1948. Homeless and with few possessions they soon returned to Bozeman where Harold completed his degree in 1951. Job opportunities led them to Portland, Oregon, where their three children were born. Lorna relished motherhood engaging with her children as both parent and playmate.

In 1966 the family moved to Lake Forest Park in Seattle, Washington. Lorna was a proud and present mother attending school sporting events, concerts, and plays. Eager to expand her education she enrolled in community college courses and eventually earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Washington in 1970. At over 40 years old she matched her younger peers in intellect, dress and spirit. With newly found self-confidence Lorna soon found employment with Burke Marketing Research in downtown Seattle. There she conducted consumer interviews on the phone, in supermarkets, and in the field. She quickly rose to the rank of supervisor, training staff and coordinating progress of research with Burke's headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 1978 the Kortums moved to Vantage, Washington when Harold was employed with Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington as a technical supervisor for the Physical Plant. Lorna returned to work in 1979 hired as a trainer with the Washington State Career Change Program in Yakima, Washington. She helped job seekers discover strengths and sharpen work skills, infusing their job search with hope and encouragement.

Lorna had a natural gift for music. At just four years old she trotted over to the piano and plucked out the song My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean playing only by ear. Lorna continued tickling the ivories throughout her life and delighted in entertaining family and friends with robustly improvised songs such as The Beer Barrel Polka and The Wreck of Old '97--two of her favorites. As a young woman working at Bozeman's Gallatin Inn she often played the piano during breaks-once catching the attention of visiting presidential candidate Thomas E. Dewey who was lured in by her bright melodies. Later in life she took great joy in playing hymns for her community church in Desert Aire, Washington.

Well into her 80s Lorna loved hiking the shrub-steppe trails near her Vantage home. A devoted admirer of nature she rejoiced in watching eagles soar above the basalt cliffs. Though Vantage was her favorite home in her adult years, she never strayed far from her Montana roots. She often reminisced about roundups, sheep camps, haying, and old-time dances at the Castle Rock community hall near Colstrip. Shopping trips to Forsyth with her parents left vivid memories especially sitting with her sister in the Joseph Hotel lounge, watching townspeople pass by. One favorite memory was spotting a glamorous woman who owned a fashionable clothes store in town. "There goes Vennie Lane!" they would exclaim--she was a star in their eyes.

With Lorna's passing, a proud generation comes to a close-a legacy of dry-land ranchers who endured the Depression, World War II, and decades of change. They were resilient dreamers, bold achievers, and steadfast survivors.

Lorna is survived by her children Scott (Charlotte) Kortum, Eric (Sharon) Kortum, and Krista Kortum; her granddaughter Katie Kortum; and many beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Harold, and sister Margie Jo Dunbar.

Lorna Kay Lovelace Kortum