Loretta Velma Dralle

At the age of 96, Loretta Velma Dralle passed away and went home to be with Jesus on March 25, 2026 in Happy Valley, OR, the city where she lived.

Loretta was born on March 11, 1930 in Bellingham, WA. She was the youngest of three children born to Ralph and Lillian Gates. On February 18,1949, Loretta was married to Paul Dralle in Bellingham, WA and moved to San Diego, CA. She gave birth to four children: Kathy, Vernon, who died at birth, Ricky, and Brian. She and Paul raised their children in San Diego. They moved to Oregon in 1973. Loretta and Jim Latraille were married on June 2,1979 in Oregon City, OR. They lived for a brief time in El Cajon, CA, and for about four years in Medford, OR. She and Jim returned to Happy Valley in 1987 where they continued to live until her death.

Loretta received training and worked as a real estate agent, a hairdresser, an optical assistant, and as a clerk in the County courthouse in Oregon City. She was raised in a Catholic home as a child. As an adult, she attended Hope Community Church in Happy Valley and the Milwaukie Christian Church for many years and participated in several women's Bible studies there.

While many who knew her remember her outward beauty with her beautiful smile and gorgeous hair, Loretta was probably better known for her inward beauty characterized by her grace and mercy toward people and her lovingkindness. Loretta had quite an artistic flair about her as an artist through painting and making pottery. She loved music and enjoyed dancing and singing and enjoyed many Country Western artists, the Beatles, and the Supremes. She was always careful to keep up with the current styles and fashion. She had a definite competitive streak and always wanted to win at whatever activity she participated in. She loved God's creation in nature and the outdoors, including hiking and fishing, much of which she learned from her father as a young girl. She appreciated the beauty of the trees in the forest, the flowers, and the lakes and rivers of the Pacific Northwest.

But over and above those things she enjoyed, she loved her family the most. She loved being a wife to Jim, a mother to her three kids, a grandmother to four grandkids, and a great-grandmother to seven great grandchildren. She would always keep close contact with her sister and brother even though they lived in northern Washington and southern Oregon.

Loretta is survived by her husband of 47 years, Jim Latraille, her daughter Kathy, and her son Ricky. Preceding her in death were her brother Cyrus Gates, her sister Virgina Sorenson, her adult son Brian, and her baby son Vernon.

To remember and honor Loretta's life, a funeral will be held on April 2 at 12:30PM at Mt. Scott Funeral home in Portland, followed by a graveside service at Gethsemani Cemetery in Happy Valley at 2:30PM.