Lorene A (Shorty) Bechel
Dateline: Durand
Lorene A. (Shorty) Bechel age 79 of Durand
Born: February 8, 1929
Died: December 20, 2008 at the Oakview Care Center in Durand.
Lorene was the daughter of Arthur and Laura (Johnson) Rustad. She was born in Wabasha, MN, and raised in the Nelson area. Shorty attended Cascade Elementary and graduated from Nelson High School. Shorty met and later married Donald Bechel on October 4, 1949. She worked part-time at Wolf’s in Durand for a few years but her main purpose was to raising and supporting her children and later her grandchildren. Shorty’s husband Donald died in November of 1992.
Shorty enjoyed golfing, bowling, gardening, crafting and cooking. For many years, she enjoyed her time up north with Don and the family fishing on Balsam Lake. She also loved to spend time with her children and grandchildren. Shorty was an avid Green Bay Packer fan and watched games right up until the end. She was very proud of her Norwegian Heritage and loved her lutefisk and lefse and was known to utter an occasional “uffda.”
Shorty is survived by her five children, Steven (Shelley) Bechel of Arkansaw, Jody (Mark) Gilles of Durand, Julie (David) Fritz of Davenport, IA, Brian (Debbie) and Todd Bechel both of Durand, nine grandchildren, five great grandchildren, three sisters, Lila (Al) Herrley of Plum City, Arlene Hunt of Vancouver, WA and Gladys Strand of Eau Claire, many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Donald, one grandson, Eric Bechel.