Lorraine Bartz, 96, of Austin, Minnesota, died Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 at The Cedars of Austin.

Luella Lorraine Hansen was born July 3, 1921, on the family farm in Austin Township, the daughter of Fred and Edna (Hanson) Hansen. She would walk back and forth to the Enterprise Country School through the eighth grade and then attended Austin High School, graduating in 1939. Lorraine had polished her secretarial skills and found work in the Mower County Courthouse for two years before venturing to San Francisco, California, with a girlfriend to work. Having been “courted” by mail, Sgt. H.H. Bartz convinced Lorraine to leave her work in San Francisco to join him in Denver, Colorado.  They were engaged on Valentine’s Day 1944 and married on June 19 of that year. They returned to Minnesota where Bartz worked for Jostens in Owatonna, Minnesota, before being transferred to Hannibal, Missouri, and later to St. Louis, Missouri, and then back to Owatonna. They had an opportunity to own a farm in the Austin area, so the family moved in March 1958. Lorraine returned to secretarial work at the Austin YMCA in January 1968, where she worked for 26 years.

Over the years, Lorraine remained an active member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.

Lorraine is survived by her children, Ralph and Karen Sundal Bartz, Austin, Lori Bartz, Austin, and Jerry Bartz, Reno, Nevada;  daughter-in-law, Mary Bartz, Tyler, Minnesota; grandchildren, Kyle and Katie Bartz, Storm Lake, Iowa, Amy and Aaron Erks, Pipestone, Minnesota, Cole and Tabby Bartz, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Emily Peterson, Tomah, Wisconsin; nine great-grandchildren, with another due in 2018.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Helmer, in 1996; son, Paul Bartz; sister and brother-in-law, Evelyn and Archie O Steen; son-in-law, David Peterson; and granddaughter, Melissa Peterson.

A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Austin with the Rev. Karen Behling and Intern Pastor Anders Nelson officiating. Interment will be at Oakwood Cemetery at a later date. Visitation will be held at the church for one hour before the service on Saturday.

Clasen-Jordan Mortuary is in charge of the arrangements.