Longtime Stratton resident, Loren Lester Pottorff, 94, went into the presence of the Lord on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015.
Loren was born Nov. 21, 1920 at Dodge City, Kan. to Calvin and Belle (Anderson) Pottorff, the fifth of 11 children.
The family moved to a cattle ranch near Healy, Kan., where the brothers worked with their dad; Loren was seven years old when he drove the tractor during wheat harvest.
He graduated from Healy High School in 1939. He enlisted in the Army in 1942 and was stationed in Korea, Ie Shima and Okinawa following his stint in the U.S.
In the meantime, his family moved to a farm south of Stratton. After he arrived there, he met Darlene Taylor through his sister Helen at a barn dance and Loren and Darlene were married on Aug. 15, 1946.
To this union, four children, Karen Kay, Janice Louise, Judith Ann, and Donald Eugene, were born.
Loren and Darlene obtained a farm south of Stratton and raised cattle and wheat. After the drought in 1955, the family moved to Sidney, Neb. where he worked at the Army Depot and for a packing plant.
After two years, when the packing plant closed, they moved back to the farm and he also rented farm ground. He farmed for his brother, Ernie, for 15 years and then farmed for his brother, Kenny, for about 35 years and also applied fertilizer and delivered liquid feed in Kit Carson County, Yuma County, and into Kansas for Kenny’s business.
Loren and some of his brothers played baseball several years on a team that was mostly Pottorffs, and he also enjoyed fishing, but gave it up when he realized he was never going to catch any fish.
He always loved everything about flying, so when his brother, Homer, bought a small plane, Loren was hooked and learned to fly in 1963 and flew until 2002.
He flew many miles around the US, helped a sheriff’s department fly over a corn field to look for a suspect, looked for cattle after a snow storm, checked power lines for KC Electric, flew his mother to Dodge City, and flew other family members to various destinations.
He was very involved in Flying Farmers and belonged to the Comanche Society and Colorado Pilots Association.
Loren’s passion for photography is apparent in his many photos, movies and videos expressing many wonderful memories.
He and Darlene were blessed to be able to travel to several scenic places in Colorado, San Diego, and later to France, Italy, and Morocco.
On May 1, 2011, he was thrilled with his Honor Flight trip as a World War II veteran to Washington, DC and talked of it and showed off his album and DVD to whomever would listen to him.
He demonstrated his love of farming at their home when they moved to a home in Stratton in 1971 with lawn work, gardening, and repairing small machinery for family and neighbors.
Square dancing and round dancing was a fun part of his life with Darlene for about 25 years, being members of groups in Limon, Burlington, Flagler, Goodland and Colby and bragged of dancing at the capital in Denver and the convention center and they also danced at the state fair.
Loren and Darlene moved to Fort Collins following a severe injury in 2010 and thoroughly enjoyed living at Parkwood Estates, where they have been involved in activities and made many friends. Loren really felt at home and considered many to be his family.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Bill, Homer, Ernie, and Harley; sisters, Neva Wasson, Helen Maurer, Lela Wilkinson; daughter Janice Ecke, and granddaughter Tammy Pottorff.
He is survived by his wife, Darlene of 68 years; brothers Kenny (Nancy), Bob (June), all of Stratton; sister Doris Bose of Greeley; daughters Karen (Fred) Ziegler and Judy (Allan) Winick, all of Wellington; son Donnie (Rhonda) Pottorff of Vona; 8 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; cousins, and many nieces and nephews.
A visitation was held Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015 from 2-5 p.m. at the Allnutt Drake Chapel, in Fort Collins.
A memorial service was held at Parkwood Estates on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015 at 2 p.m.
A second memorial service was held on Friday, Feb. 20, 2015 at 1 p.m. at the Church of God in Stratton. Inurnment followed in Claremont Cemetery at Stratton.
Memorials may be made in Loren’s name and may be left at or sent to the Colorado East Bank and Trust, 141 Colorado Ave., PO Box 286, Stratton, CO 80836.
Friends may go to www.lovefuneralhomes.com to leave a message of condolence for the family and to sign their online register book.
Local funeral services were entrusted to Love Funeral Home, Burlington.
