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- [S142] Newspaper Article, The Green Bay Press Gazette (WI), 23 Mar 2011.
Lenora Payne, 88, died Sunday, March 13, 2011 while recuperating at Brighton Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Scottsdale, Arizona following a recent illness.
She was born Lenora Marie Soerens, in Oostburg Wisconsin to Benjamin Henry Soerens and Mabel Dell Soerens. She was one of six brothers and sisters, Geraldine Soerens Novshek, Wilton Soerens, Robert Soerens, Harold Soerens, and Kenneth Soerens.
After graduating high school, she worked as a secretary before marrying Donald Eugene Hansen, August 29, 1942. They lived in Rock Island, Illinois during WWII where Don was a machinist for Rock Island Arsenal. Following the war, they moved to Black River, Wisconsin near their parents to begin raising their own family of six and start a home.
In 1961, they moved with their children, in a Greyhound bus the couple had renovated, to Arizona where the technology industry was just beginning to grow. They moved to a home in Scottsdale, where she resided until her death.
She ran the household, managed the accounts, attended college and raised the children while Don worked in the technology field. Don died in 1961 and Lynn, as she introduced herself, began working at the Phoenix Health and Welfare offices performing data recording and case management while raising their children. Several years later, she changed positions and remained for 15 years as the Phoenix District Office Administrative Secretary for SuperX Drugstores until retirement in 1986. During this period she fell in love with and married Casa Grande, store manager, William Nash Payne, October 8, 1977. They had many happy years together until Nash passed away in 2007.
She witnessed her family grow and expand again with grandchildren and great grandchildren. Lynn, possessed a loving and caring personality that engaged everyone she met. She had an easy smile, gentle voice and enjoyed regaling a funny story to the amusement of her friends and loved ones near and far. She loved to listen to all types of music from classical to her grandchildren's hard rock and was an accomplished artist of piano, violin, organ and voice. She remained self reliant and determined to endure many hardships in her life and so served as a role model of resilience, decency, honesty and dedication as wife, mother, employee and friend to all who knew and loved her.
Funeral services were held March 19, 2011, at Green Acres Chapel of Light in Scottsdale, Arizona. She was laid to rest in the Green Acres Memorial Gardens, Garden of Flowers. The funeral was attended by more than 60 family and friends. The hymns "Amazing Grace", "In the Sweet By-And-By", and "I Come to the Garden Alone" were sung by the attendees, accompanied by a vocalist and pianist. The eulogy was performed by Dr. David Patterson of the church she attended, Scottsdale United Methodist, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Family and friends offered testaments to her life, bringing photos and music to the services in loving remembrances.
Lenora was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, Wilton and Robert and sister, Geraldine, and three of her children Carol (1952), Terese (1996) and Brian (1996).
She is survived by three children, Loron (Margaret) Hansen of Scottsdale, Arizona, Patricia Moore Baker of Fayetteville Arkansas, Pam (Brent) Dunlock of Scottsdale, Arizona and step daughter Edith Carol (John) Rogers of Mesa, Arizona. Further survived by her grandchildren Tom Hansen of Scottsdale, Arizona and Christine Hansen of Virginia, Wendolyn (David) Barnes of Bentonville, Arkansas and Aaron Moore of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Shaun (Beth) Kulish of Show Low, Arizona and Adam (Melissa) Kulish of Flagstaff, Arizona, Jason (Cheri) Dunlock, of Queen Creek, Arizona, Catherine Rogers of Queen Creek, Arizona and Thomas (Julie) Rogers of Buckeye, Arizona. Further, she is survived by her great grandchildren Amber and Austin (of Tom Hansen), Madisyn Dunlock, Frederick Barnes, Mikenzie and Kyson Kulish, Kietalyn and Jedadiah Rogers. She existed before us, we live in her essence.
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