Visitation will be held on Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home – North Chapel in New Ulm from 10 a.m. until noon, followed by a prayer service led by Father Jerry Meidl.
Loraine is survived by her daughters, Louise Guggisberg of Duluth, Ann (Stuart Game) O’Callaghan of St. Paul; her grandchildren, John “Jack” Guggisberg of Anna, Illinois, Alex Guggisberg of Duluth, Henry O’Callaghan of Los Angeles, Calif., Eleanor O’Callaghan of San Francisco, Calif.; her sisters, Edna Petersen of Springfield, Irene (Nick) Lux of Sleepy Eye, Elaine (Mike) Breu of Searles, Bernice (Ron) Schmitz of New Ulm; her brothers, Alan Portner of Sleepy Eye, Ron (Sue) Portner of New Ulm and many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Meinrad and Emily Portner; her husband, Linus Guggisberg; her son, John Guggisberg; her brother and sister-in-law, Florian and Nancy Portner; and her brother-in-law, Ralph Petersen.
Loraine Viola Portner was born March 14, 1936, in New Ulm to Meinrad and Emily (Flor) Portner. She was a 1954 graduate from Cathedral High School in New Ulm and furthered her education at North Hennepin Community College in communications. She worked at the New Ulm Journal before she was united in marriage to Linus Guggisberg on March 12, 1958, at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm. This union blessed the couple with three children whom together they raised in Essig, where Loraine served as the Postmaster for many years. She served as a local voting judge, a bookkeeper for the Essig baseball board, and worked at Carl’s Corner for many years. Besides her work, Loraine enjoyed spending time tending to her greenhouse and gardens and doing the daily crossword puzzle. She was an informed and compassionate person who will be dearly missed.
The family wishes to express heart-felt appreciation to the kind care staff at the Sleepy Eye Care Center, Ridgeway on German and South View Living Center of Gibbon.