Lorrene was born on December 16, 1926 in Brandon, MO to Letha Mae (Jennings) and Hugh Thompson, the sixth of nine children. She passed on April 21, 2022 after many years of dealing with COPD and congestive heart failure. Lorrene was preceded in death by her parents, brothers – unnamed infant boy born in 1919, William, and Albert; sisters – Betty, Frances, Ruby and Wanda; and granddaughter Vickie Ringwood. She is survived by son Terry (Susan) Warren and daughters Lynn (Fred) Budd and Val (Roy) Lake; grandchildren Fred (Christie) Budd, Colleen (Chris) Watson, Joe (Lane) Lake, Alicia (Glenn) Steele, Jenny (John) Ingels and ten great grandchildren – Amber Budd, Jonathan Watson, Caleb Watson, Colt Steele, Riley Ingels, Porter Ingels, Ty Steele, Tucker Ingels, Cooper Ingels and Kenna Lake; two nieces she felt were her other children – Sandy Ballard-Sutterby and Valli Beeney; and brother Raymond Thompson.
Lorrene attended grade school at Ionia Grade School in Ionia, MO, graduating from the 8th grade in May 1940. She stayed out of school the 1940-41 school year because her mother was having a baby and needed help around the house. She started high school in fall 1941 at Cole Camp High School in Cole Camp, MO and graduated first in her class in May 1945. Lorrene then moved to Kansas City and graduated from the Kansas City Secretarial School (a precursor of the Metropolitan Community Colleges) and then took additional courses at Huff’s Business College. She married a service man she had dated for two years, Norris Warren, on July 26, 1945 and they were married for 31 years.
For 30 years Lorrene very actively participated in Southern Baptist church activities doing volunteer work. She initiated a nursery program for Parkway Baptist, Birchwood Baptist and Besonia Baptist churches. They were all old established churches but no one had ever cared enough to provide for youngsters under 4 years of age. She was president of the ladies group at Parkway Baptist Church, she was church clerk, Sunday school secretary, taught 8 year old girls Sunday School, was leader of 13-16 year old Young Women’s Association of Birchwood Baptist and gave many missionary book reviews for both youngsters and adults.
She was a member of the La Sertoma Club of Kansas City, MO, a volunteer for the Visiting Nurses Association of Platte County, and a member of the American Business Women’s Association. Lorrene was a night auditor for Pepsico for many years and retired in 1987 as the bookkeeper/accountant for the Teamsters Local 541 labor union that represented workers at Owens Corning in Kansas City, KS.
If you don’t know the music to this piece, you can Google ‘Far Side Banks of Jordan by the Carter family’ to listen:
I’ll admit my steps are growing wearier each day
Still I’ve got a certain journey on my mind
Lures of this old world have ceased to make me wanna stay
My one regret is leaving you behind
If it proves to be his will that I am first to cross
And somehow I’ve a feeling it will be
When it comes your time to travel likewise don’t feel lost
For I will be the first one that you’ll see
And I’ll be waiting on the far side banks of Jordan
I’ll be sitting, drawing pictures in the sand
And when I see you coming I will rise up with a shout
And come running through the shallow water reaching for your hand
Through this life we’ve labored long to earn our meager fare
It’s brought us trembling hands and failing eyes
So I’ll just rest there on that shore and turn my eyes away
Until you come then we’ll see paradise
And I’ll be waiting on the far side banks of Jordan
I’ll be sitting, drawing pictures in the sand
And when I see you coming I will rise up with a shout
And come running through the shallow water reaching for your hand
I’ll be waiting on the far side banks of Jordan
I’ll be sitting, drawing pictures in the sand
And when I see you coming I will rise up with a shout
And come running through the shallow waters reaching for your hand
Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn’s rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight,
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die
The name of the poem and identity of the poet are unknown
Cremation handled by Meyers Northland Chapel, Parkville, MO
Interment in East Slope Memorial Gardens, Riverside, MO
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