Loraine Piatt

LIFESTORY:

People often consider themselves blessed by the many events of their lives – sharing love with a spouse, caring for children, spoiling grandchildren and experiencing new adventures every day. Loraine Piatt was one of these special people. Through her warmth and generosity, she exemplified all the wonderful things that a wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend should be.

The year of 1917 fell right near the end of World War I, though the town of Big Rapids, Michigan was far removed from the chaotic battlefields of Europe. The war was on everyone’s mind, yet entertainers like Charlie Chaplin helped to lighten their moods. For Fredrick Knopf and his wife, Elma (Bankert), their focus was not on the trouble in the world, but rather on the newest blessing in their lives. On November 30, 1917, the couple welcomed the birth of their daughter, Bertha “Loraine.” She was the third of their six children.

Loraine spent her growing up years in the rural area of Big Rapids, where her father raised crops of hay, corn and wheat on their family farm. Her parents made sure the kids learned responsibility by pitching in with daily farm chores, so every day before and after school Loraine helped milk the cows, clean, cook, do laundry and collect eggs. Since their farmhouse had no indoor plumbing or electricity, water had to be fetched as well. Loraine received her education attending the one-room schoolhouse called Elie Elementary and Big Rapids High School. After graduating in 1935, she went on to attend Ferris Institute (now Ferris State University) for 2 years learning the skills of a secretary. While here, Loraine lived with her aunt and family near campus. Upon graduating from Ferris, Loraine got a job with General Motors in Pontiac, and went to live with the Wittefield family.

During World War II, Loraine was dating a young solider and would take a train from Detroit to see him. It was on one of these train rides that she met another soldier, a Major in the Marines named Gordon Piatt. Smitten with each other, they soon began dating and fell hopelessly in love. Loraine and Gordon were happily married in a military wedding on Armistice Day, November 11, 1944. Soon after, Gordon was sent overseas to serve in Guam in the South Pacific. After the war, he and Loraine lived in Philadelphia while he finished up his military term. They then moved to Washington, D.C. for a time before heading to southeast Missouri, where Gordon attended Chiropractic school in Poplar Bluff. The couple lived here for 4 years, during which time Gordon opened his own chiropractic practice. Then, when his mother became ill, the couple moved back to Grand Rapids to help care for her.

Once back home in Grand Rapids, Loraine and Gordon lived off of West River Dr. NW for a time before building a home on Moerland Drive in 1954. It was here the couple happily raised their only child, daughter Valorie. It was around this time that Loraine went back to work at General Motors in the lab on Alpine, building F-84 fighter jets, while Gordon worked for a trucking firm. Being real history buffs, the family enjoyed taking vacations to historical places and battlefields out east in Boston, Williamsburg and Plymouth, though they also loved the sun and sand in Florida.

On her own time, Loraine enjoyed pursuing some of her favorite hobbies, like sewing. Over the years, she made many outfits for her daughter and herself. She and Gordon also took an upholstery class, which she enjoyed doing on the side. With a tremendous green thumb, Loraine maintained a beautiful garden filled with a great variety of roses, including Peace, Mr. Lincoln and American Beauty. She absolutely adored her roses. Gordon also had a vegetable garden, and Loraine canned its bounty each fall. In the kitchen, Loraine was a wonderful cook, especially when it came to her spaghetti, mustard pork chops and delicious desserts of cookies, pies and her out-of-this-world layered cakes. In her quieter moments, she was an avid reader of periodicals that kept her abreast of current events. She also watched Fox News every day and the Food Network, and for her listening pleasure, she loved Big Band music and Neil Diamond.

After her husband Gordon retired, he and Loraine took some time to travel abroad in Europe and they became snowbirds from January to March, staying in their rented condo in Destin, Florida. Loraine loved it when her daughter Valorie and her family came to visit them in Florida. As the couple got older though, they decided it best to stay closer to home and stopped going to Florida about 5 years ago. This gave Loraine more time to be a doting grandmother to her two granddaughters, whom she adored. Though for Loraine, family was always the greatest source of happiness in her life.

Last year, Loraine suffered with complications from congestive heart failure. Her health began to decline again just recently and after being put under the care of “Right at Home,” her health soon improved. Unfortunately, Loraine started having problems again last week and was admitted to Spectrum Health - Butterworth Hospital on Tuesday, where she continued to decline. Loraine died on Wednesday evening, November 19, 2009, at the age of 91.

Loraine was a loving and dedicated wife, mother, grandmother and a friend to all who knew her. She will be deeply missed.

Loraine is survived by her husband of 66 years, Gordon Piatt; her daughter and son-in-law, Valorie and Dan Uekert; her two granddaughters, Amanda and Jessica Uekert; her sister, Em Manley; nieces, nephews and many friends. A service to celebrate Loraine’s life will be held on Monday, November 23, at 11:00 a.m. at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, Grand Rapids. Relatives and friends will meet her family on Sunday, November 22, from 6-9 p.m. at the funeral home. In her memory, memorial contributions may be made to “Right at Home” – in home care giving for the elderly. Please visit Loraine’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory with her family or sign her online guest book.