Lillian Kratlian

1921 - 2021

Lillian Kratlian
August 17, 1921 - September 9, 2021
Fresno, California - Lillian Kratlian of Fresno passed away on September 9, 2021 in Eagle Point, Oregon at the age of 100. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and she will always be fondly remembered and truly missed.
Lillian Elizabeth Tierney was born on August 17, 1921 in London, England to William and Amelia Tierney – the third daughter in a family of ten children. She attended Charles Dickens primary school until the age of fourteen and then worked as a metal press operator in a tin-can factory for six years, and then as a "clippie" or streetcar conductress, where she met Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1943, Lillian fell in love with an American Army corporal named Leon Kratlian, and they were married the following year. When the war ended, Lillian moved to Fresno to be with Leon and raise their three children together.
In 1965, Lillian began a new career selling furniture for JC Penney's department store, where she earned high sales and record commissions to become one of the company's highest-earning associates until her retirement in 1987.
Lillian's favorite activities included walking along Huntington Boulevard, visiting relatives on holidays and back in London, hosting shish-kabob dinners for family at home, playing slot machines at casinos, and sitting outside for hours to enjoy a beautiful and peaceful day.
Above all, Lillian was a self-described "people-person," who enjoyed meeting and talking with friends and strangers alike. At the same time, Lillian never refrained from expressing her own opinions, whether they were popular or not, and often punctuated her views with the familiar refrain, "If you don't like it – tough!"
Lillian is survived by her daughter Linda Alexander, son Larry Kratlian and his wife Debra, and son Ron Kratlian; along with grandson Brad Alexander, his wife Martha, and their children Vivian and Michael, and grandson Brian Kratlian, his wife Annie, and their children McKay and Vincent.
We will greatly miss our beloved Lillian, and the memory of her humor, charm, and loving nature will live in our hearts forever. May God bless her soul and give her eternal rest.