Lora Lee Strain

Lora Lee Strain died peacefully with her sons by her side on July 2nd, 2025. She was 97.

Lora Lee was born in Brewster, Kansas on November 2nd, 1927, to Leslie (Roy) and Belva Mallory McCall. She grew up on the family dairy farm during the depths of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, graduating from Brewster High School in 1945. Her high school sweetheart, Dean Strain, enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1944 during World War II and was shot down on a bombing raid over Germany. He became a POW, and Lora Lee worried and waited for him to be freed. He was eventually liberated, returned home to Brewster, and asked Lora Lee to be his bride.

The couple stayed in Brewster and raised two boys, Larry and Max. Lora Lee cherished being a mother. She counted raising her sons as her greatest life achievement and supported them in their endeavors. She was a Cub Scout leader, Sunday school teacher, substitute rural mail carrier, city councilwoman, and the best angel food cake baker for counties around.

When her boys left home, she became an avid walker and exercised daily. She credited all the walking for her longevity and great health. She and Dean spent many weekends at Lake Trenton fishing and boating, and later traveled extensively across the U.S.

After Dean died in 1995, Lora Lee moved to Gardner, Kansas and settled into a home of her own. She took great pride in maintaining her house and spent many hours ensuring her yard was the nicest on the block. Visitors were treated to a variety of her homemade baked goods, including cinnamon rolls and her famous angel food cake.

Rather than slowdown in later years, Lora Lee’s sense of adventure blossomed. She took trips to Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Ireland, England, and Italy. She traveled with tour groups and loved the camaraderie of those she explored the world with. She also became very computer savvy and emailed friends and family daily.

When you visited her home, you were welcomed by a large stone bearing the Chicago Cubs logo. Her Cubs loyalty began as a child listening to games on the radio and continued to the very end. She always said she wanted to live long enough to see the Cubs win a World Series — and of course, she succeeded. She also watched a game at Wrigley Field and attended Cubs Spring Training twice.

Lora Lee was deeply committed to her Christian faith. A lifelong Methodist, she would wake before dawn for her daily prayer. But her faith was much more than a morning ritual — it was part of her everyday life and how she tried to live.

Lora Lee was a doting grandmother to her 4 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. In her twilight years, she moved to the Denver area to be closer to Max and his wife Barb, Larry and his wife Mary, and most of her grandchildren. She remained sharp to the very end and could spin a good tale, tell a great story about life on the prairie, or make you laugh with the escapades of her two boys. Lora Lee will always be remembered for her sparkling blue eyes, humor, and devotion to her faith and family.

Family and close friends will gather in Denver on August 1st for a Celebration of Life. A memorial service for all will be held on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland at 12:00 PM followed by a graveside inurnment at the Brewster Cemetery, Brewster, KS on August 2nd at noon.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Colorado Freedom Memorial in her honor and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735. Her grandson, Kristoffer, designed the memorial to recognize all fallen military personnel from Colorado.