Hannelore "Lora" Graham

Hannelore (Lora) Graham Hannelore was born March 20, 1950 in Subotica, Yugoslavia. She was adopted by Dr. Marcella Jagic and Stanislav Anisic. Her early life was in a war torn country and there was suffering she witnessed that most of us don’t see. When her mother traveled to other countries as a Cardiac physician, Magda the Nanny took great care of her. She had tea in Morocco, visited the Laplanders in Norway, lived in Paris for a time, and took ferry trips to Italy to learn up front about the classics, and skiing in the Alps. Her winter home was Subotica and summer home was Rovinj on the Istrian peninsula. Their home was on the water and she talked about diving for amphoras with her brother Bela and fishing for octopus. Her type of fishing was with a spear gun. After school she studied piano in the conservatory each day. When her mother traveled sometimes she would stay with the sisters in the convent across the street. She moved with her mother to West Germany in 1966 and was sent to Thames Ditton, London England to learn English. Lora talked about going to a different museum every weekend to soak up all she could see while there. At 18 she moved to Wurzburg, Germany attending the University and studied Linguistics, fluent in 5 languages. She met and married Gary Graham in 1970. She arrived in Washington Thanksgiving 1971 and became a US citizen in 1974. She cared for Gary’s grandfather in their home. While living in the Issaquah area she received a certificate from the National Travel school and worked for the Korean Consulate and King County Medical. Lora was a foodie and could find a recipe a day. Favorite meals family and friends enjoyed most were her homemade breakfast sausage, Schnitzel, Risotto, Carbonara, Hungarian Goulash, Bolognese, and chicken soup. She was an avid reader of mysteries and historical War novels. When she moved to Plain she was active outdoors snow mobiling , hiking or skiing, volunteering for the Chelan 9 Volunteer Fire Department, worked at Cascade Hospital Emergency Dept, and several Leavenworth businesses including Kris Kringle. She changed her profession to become a Certified Nursing Assistant for the Dronen family at Cashmere Convalescent Center in 2001 and then moved to Wenatchee in 2006 working at Central Washington Hospital’s Transitional Care Unit until 2009. Lora had a special knack for caring for and comforting people, because she knew what caring meant. She always said “Thank you” even when the pain was hard to bear. Lora touched many people and had a great network of friends especially the OBBC (Old Broads Breakfast Club). She left this earth knowing that her new adopted family and friends loved her very much and so too her kitties Tippy, Sophie, and Diesel and dog Sadie in the home of her partner Larita Bigelow. Memorials can be made to Wenatchee Valley Human Society. A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 P.M, Friday February 26, 2016 at Jones & Jones – Betts Memorial Chapel, 302 Ninth Street, WA. Please express your thoughts and memories on the online guest book at jonesjonesbetts.com. Arrangements are by Jones & Jones – Betts Funeral Home.

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Hannelore "Lora" Graham

March 20, 1950 - February 14, 2016