Dorris KRAHN

1930 - 2025

(94)

A Life of Grit, Grace, and Quiet Revolution

Dorris Lee Krahn, passed away peacefully in her sleep April 14. If a legacy is measured by the lives one strengthens and the values one passes on, Dorris Krahn changed the world.

She was born Dorris Hall in San Diego on July 22, 1930, to Oscar and Dorothia "Dotty" Hall. Raised during the Great Depression and World War II, she developed the kind of toughness that would shape her life. After a childhood split between Tonasket and Sprague, Washington-where she lived under the guidance of Catholic nuns; who also taught her Softball which became an unwavering passion-she returned to Chattaroy as a teenager and enrolled at Riverside High School.

At 16, she married her first love, Dwane Ogden. Together, they built a young life in Chattaroy-Dwane trapping furs, Dorris working in Greenbluff orchards. She sang in the church choir, played softball, and soon began raising three children: Steve, Paul, and Melodee.

Then, in 1957, Dwane died tragically in a construction accident on Spokane's Maple Street Bridge. Dorris was 27 years old, widowed with three small children. Grief-stricken but determined, she enrolled in dental assistant school that spring-an act of grit and resolve that exemplified her progressiveness. Dorris was a warrior in every sense-determined, generous, and relentlessly optimistic, always seeing the glass as half full. She believed deeply in the power of education, the dignity of hard work, and the importance of standing on your own two feet.

She found purpose in providing a better life for her children. Summers were spent gardening, canning, raising chickens, and preparing for winter. Many remember the cool, moist, musty scent of her root cellar.

In 1961, she reunited with a high school acquaintance, Walter Krahn, and the two eloped. They welcomed a daughter, Lorrie, and as a family of six spent decades together skiing, huckleberry picking, boating, and square dancing. Their home in Chattaroy, next to the local church, became a place of comfort and celebration for family and friends alike for 64 years. She worked steadily, eventually spending more than 23 years at Whitworth College, where she served in the cafeteria. She loved young people. She loved their energy. She loved their promise.

Baseball was her great love beyond family. That love never faded. She knew every Seattle Mariners player's number, cheered every game, and counted among her greatest joys the electric playoff run at the Kingdome in '95.

She was politically engaged and deeply progressive. She celebrated the gains of women, including Title IX and the evolving roles of women in education and leadership. Most of her life she severed as an election volunteer at the township hall in Chattaroy.

Dorris never missed a birthday. Her handwritten cards were always on time; her presence constant.

She is survived by her children, Steve and Melodee; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and the Chattaroy community that helped carry her through difficult times. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Dwane Ogden; her second husband, Walter Krahn; her sister, Peggy; her son, Paul; her daughter, Lorrie; her grandson, Brock; and her parents.

She will be remembered for her fierce love, athletic spirit, and unwavering strength. Her life was a true testament to perseverance, and her legacy lives on in the many lives she touched. Lastly, she made the best homemade cinnamon rolls, huckleberry cobbler and apple pie known to man. We love you!

Service will be on Saturday, April 26, at 11 AM, at Riplingers, 4305 N. Division, Spokane.