We were not ready to say goodbye to our beloved Mom as she fought valiantly through 17 days in the hospital after suffering a heart attack at home. But she was prepared to meet her loving Lord Jesus Who had walked with her through an amazing life of love and courage.
Lorraine was born at home on the farm on November 6, 1933 in Browse, B.C. to parents who had immigrated from England and Germany. She was the third of four children, the only daughter of Paul and Ethel Henke. Growing up she enjoyed sports and even won a place in the “Miss Nakusp” pageant! After high school her father took her to Trail, BC, enrolled her in college to train as a stenographer, found a place for her to live and a church for her to attend. It was in Trail that Lorraine heard about Jesus and His loving sacrifice for her. She gave her heart to Jesus and loved Him and lived for Him the rest of her life. She says that to love and serve Jesus is the BEST thing a person can do.
It was also in Trail, BC that Lorraine met the love of her life, Eldor Magnus Delviken, born in Trail but raised in Norway on the family homestead. After attending Bible College in Saskatchewan Lorraine and Eldor pastored churches in Trail, Radville, SK and Golden BC. From there they moved to Kamloops where Lorraine found many ways to use her talents: Bible teaching, working with the Ladies’ Groups, cooking at many summer camps, working with the youth, visiting the elderly and even playing the accordion and piano at church.
In 1974 the family moved to Cultus Lake and then Chilliwack, where Lorraine loved and served the Lord by loving and serving those around her. She worked for many years at the Chilliwack General Hospital, using her clerking skills in the laundry/housekeeping department and making numerous friends along the way. Her family and her friends have always been dear treasures to her. Nothing seemed too big a sacrifice to her if it meant spending time with friends and family – especially her 4 precious grandchildren … and then her 10 great grandchildren … not to mention numerous nieces, nephews and their children and even adopted family! And if they couldn’t visit her, she went to visit them in Arizona and Winnipeg. She even went to Africa twice to visit Evangelene … where she collected more friends and “grandchildren”! She was a people person – her love languages were gift-giving and spending time together. If she couldn’t be there for a birthday, she was sure to send a card which always included some kind of gift – at the very least a tiny KitKat!! In her later years she made friends by just sitting in the lobby of her condo building and chatting with people who came to get their mail!
Lorraine is survived by her 2 daughters, Evangelene Diaz (Robert) and Lori Hamilton (Dennis) and her daughter-in-love, Barb (Paul), by her brother, Daryl Henke (Ella), by her 4 grandchildren: Ryan Delviken (Priscilla), Tara Spence (Skip), Eryn McFee (Colin) and Kyle Hamilton (Emily); and her 2 step-granddaughters, Kristi and Jessica; and by 10 great grandchildren: Elly, Cole, Grayson, Smith and Emmer McFee, Jake and Max Spence, Isaiah and Liam Delviken and Hadley Hamilton as well as 6 step-great grandchildren. She loved her many nieces and nephews but was especially close to Ember Heidt (Kevin) and her children: Echo and Talon; as well as Gord Henke (Tammy) and Doug Henke (Amanda).
Lorraine is predeceased by her husband, Eldor in 1990 and her son, Paul in 2014 as well as a son born prematurely in 1964; her brother and his wife, Gordon and Betty Henke, as well as her 10-year-old brother, Herbert, who passed away when she was 5.
We will celebrate and remember Lorraine’s amazing life and legacy together on Tuesday, December 13, 2022 at 1:30pm at First Avenue Christian Assembly.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.17