Lorraine Potratz

Lorraine Potratz, age 81 of Moorhead, formerly of Sauk Centre, died on Sunday, July 20, 2003 at Eventide Lutheran Home in Moorhead after a lengthy illness.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 24 at Zion Lutheran Church in Sauk Centre for Rev. R. E. Bloemker will officiate with interment following in Parkers Prairie Cemetery.

Friends may call one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday.

Lorraine Potratz was born on November 2, 1921 in Breckenridge, Minnesota to Oscar and Ida (Hovland) Nelson. She was raised in rural Clay County, near Perly, Minnesota, attended country schools and graduated from Borup High School in Borup, Minnesota in 1939. She attended Moorhead State Teacher's College for two years, graduating in 1942 with her teaching certificate. On June 21, 1947 she was united in marriage to Arnold Potratz in Perly, Minnesota. She was an elementary school teacher at Middleton country school, near Georgetown (1941-1942), Battle Lake (1943-1946) and Parkers Prairie (1946-1957). The couple moved to Sauk Centre in 1958 and she was an elementary teacher at Sauk Centre Public Schools from 1965 until her retirement in 1986, after 37 years of teaching. She received her degree in education from St. Cloud State College in 1972. Since November of 2000 she had resided at Eventide Assisted Living and Lutheran Home in Moorhead, Minnesota.She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church, Ladies Aid, and was a former Sunday school and Vacation Bible School teacher. She was also a member of American Legion Post 67 Auxiliary, St. Michael's Hospital Auxiliary, Delta Kappa Gamma Society, Minnesota Education Association (MEA) and a former member of Sauk Centre Seniors.

Survivors include her son, Mark (Patti) Potratz of Grand Forks, North Dakota; three grandchildren, Lori, Lindsey and Michael Potratz; sisters and brothers, Nora Nelson of Georgetown, Alice (Wallace) Erickson of Detroit Lakes, Pernell Jones of Valdosta, Georgia, Art (Helen) Nelson, Lloyd (Dorothy) Nelsona and Oscar (Grace) Nelson, all of Moorhead.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Arnold in 1969; her parents; and brother, Norman Nelson.Serving as casket bearers will be John and Jim Potratz, Roger Sterricker, David Nelson, Gerry Zimmerman and Walter Erickson.