Lorene Bartell

With great regrets, we announce the peaceful passing of Lorene Bartell, a cherished matriarch and beloved friend, on June 8, 2026, at the age of 97. Born on October 24, 1928, in the quaint town of Black Rock, Arkansas, Lorene was an example of warmth and wisdom to all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Lorene was the youngest of 11 children and the treasured daughter of Frank and Flora Phillips. She was predeceased in death by her parents, all her siblings, and her beloved sons, Dean and Eric Bartell. Despite the losses she faced, Lorene's spirit remained unbroken, and her life was a testament to resilience and love.

Lorene's life was a tapestry of vibrant stories and cherished memories. She loved her childhood and told stories of running through woods and creeks after her older siblings and just a fun free life of a country girl.

When she was eight years old, her family started out on a relocation that ended in California. Once there, her Pa and brother contracted to dismantle a warehouse. The lumber would be repurposed to build their home that still stands today. Lorene's task was to straighten all the nails that were removed and ready them for the house. She attended McFarland High School where she was active in the school newspaper and yearbook and graduated in 1948. After a couple of years of college, she joined the Army in 1950, where she met a dark dashing Sergeant named Morland Bartell, affectionately known as Bart. They soon married and relocated to Oregon. They had eight children over the next 15 years.

Education and children were so important to her that she participated in every aspect of children's lives she could without stifling them but encouraging them to seek their life destiny. She was their greatest advocate. She was involved in the PTA, Scouts, Campfire, 4-H, band and little league, just to name a few. She was a constant source of support and love, nurturing her family with an unwavering commitment. Her home was always open, a haven where laughter was shared, and love was abundant.

Once the children were raised, she went back to college and graduated from Willamette University at 58 years young. Upon graduation. She joined the peace corps and went to Honduras for 2 yrs. She fell in love with the people and culture, returning several times with her children to show them the country and meet the people she had shared her time with. She remained in contact with her colleagues and had reunions with them regularly. One of the last being at the home where she raised her family. Lorene was not a prideful person but she did quite enjoy showing off her gardens and orchard to close friends.

When she got back from the Peace Corp, she started her next adventure of working with children as a Head Start teacher. Those 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds kept her heart young. She was overheard saying that if she had known she could have had this much fun and joy as she did as a teacher, she would not have had that many kids. She finally retired at 70 years old.

During and after her time with Head Start, she then turned to the other children in her life. She made sure her grandchildren, great grandchildren or other kids that tagged along with them had opportunities to participate in Awesome 3000, Art Fair, Arbor Day, summer camps, going to

the Gilbert house, library, Salem Riverfront Carousel or anything else she might find for them to try a hand at.

Not being someone to stay idle for long, she turned her attention to other interests and found Habitat for Humanity. Remembering the house in McFarland, it was a perfect fit, being it was helping people was a big bonus for her. With numerous volunteer hours of working on houses, she became a volunteer construction leader acting as a crew leader and mentor on the job site, teaching new volunteers how to build. She enjoyed the challenge of learning something new. But when they found out she was 75 yrs old, they said she had to stay on the ground and no longer was allowed on the roof due to liability issues.

As time went on, she heard of a carousel being proposed in Salem, this was 1996, carvers were needed to help but there were only a few around. The plan was to train volunteers to carve. When she was young, she remembered her Pa whittling on the porch and wanted to do that someday. Well someday was here and she jumped in without hesitation and never stopped carving. She worked on many of the original carousel pieces and horses that don the carousal today. As the years progressed, her projects became smaller but never less amazing.

Her next endeavor was making quilts for her family. Each one was selected personally for the recipient of the quilt. She had just ordered a new one that would be coming in October. she said it was 'Just in case she was still around and would need something to do with her time'.

Since her birthday is in October, Make a Difference Day either lands on her birthday or is very near it. She would ask people to do something to make a difference and let her know what they did as a gift to her. She also gave well over 95 baby cedar trees away on her 95th birthday that were seeds started and grew from her own tree. Those trees are planted all over Oregon. Another year, she had a work crew (family and friends) at the 4-H Center for the weekend fixing the horse camp cabins and stalls. They were not ready for the crew she mustered and had to scramble to find enough jobs for all to do. Last year she got enough donations to buy every student at a local school a book for them to take home.

Another passion for her was gardening and canning. She introduced many family members and friends to these activities. Every year there was a steady stream of people, jars and freezer bags in and out of the house during harvest season. She always had abundance of fruits, vegetables and canned goods to share with family, friends, neighbors, local shelter or calling Salem Harvest to come and harvest the extra was normal around her place.

In her everyday life, she had set up monthly donations to "Food for the Poor", Union Gospel Mission, Educational Fund, and a political party. She was an active member of Redeemer Lutheran Church for over 20 years. She sponsored a couple of children in 3rd world countries over the years. And she was a political activist, proud that she was up to date on current affairs and participating in marches.

She was just an ordinary person - not a big business CEO or local public figure. But She was always looking for ways to give back. She made a very large impact on Salem, one person at a time. She always said anyone can make a difference. They just need to try.

Lorene's departure was as gentle as her soul. She waited patiently, ensuring her loved ones had their moments to say goodbye and assuring her that they would be ok and understood that it was time for her to go. Her departure was peaceful, as she embarked on her next adventure with grace and serenity.

Her legacy lives on in her devoted family, who were the pride and joy of her life. Lorene is survived by her sons, David Bartell, Tom Bartell, and Patrick Bartell; her daughters, Phyllis Tiernan, Amy Dixon, Susan Bartell. Their spouses, Beth Bartell, Peter Tienan, Dan Dixon, Tina Bartell and Kim Bartell. She was the adored grandmother of 14 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren, each of whom held a special place in her heart.

As we bid farewell to Lorene, we remember her not with tears but with the warmth and kindness she so freely gave. Her spirit will forever linger in the hearts of those she touched, and her legacy will continue to inspire future generations.

In memory of Lorene, donations can be made to the Gilbert House, an organization that was close to her heart. Their donation page maybe found by right clicking and opening the following Hyperlink: Make a difference now!

A weekend full of activities are planned to honor Lorene's life, celebrating the love and light she brought into the world. May she rest in eternal peace, reunited with those she loved and missed.

August 7, 6pm - 8pm

After Hours Party, Salem Riverfront Carousel,

101 Front St,

Root beer Floats, Cake and Ice cream

August 8, 1 pm

Celebration of Life, Redeemer Lutheran Church,

4663 Lancaster Dr NE

August 9, 1 pm

Family and Friends BBQ,

4655 Cordon Rd NE