Love and the Lorang Family

Love, LorangFamily by: Diane Conroy - and the -

In Feb. of 1965, Henry Lorang is safely home again from his trip abroad where he was quarantined in a Beirut, Lebanon hospital. You can read this story in the last November, Home&Harvest. The Lorang family story continues.

Grandson of Genesee pioneers John and Mary Lorang and the son of Henry and Marguerite Dan Lorang was now running the White Spring Ranch; but at this time Dan was in the hospital in Spokane for back surgery. Let’s just say he wasn’t doing very well with his pain meds after surgery and he needed some help. One nurse after the other came in his room and tried to help with his constipation. Dan refused and lay on his bed, until the next nurse came in. The next nurse, Janet Shollenberger walked in his room and said, “Turn Over!”. Her first words to her future fiancé. Nine months and 3 dates later, Dan and Janet were married, on Nov. 6, 1965. Janet Shollenberger, now Lorang, was soon introduced to the Genesee Ranch.

Alpine animal hospital

Since 1968!

providing compassionate, quality care Exams|Surgery|Imaging|Dentisty|Diagnostics Grooming|Boarding|Counseling www.AlpineAnimalHospital.com (509) 332-6575 | Pullman, WA

Shop the Beans ' n

' Jeans auction online Friday April 8 - Saturday April 16th Order a to-go boxed dinner and join in the live broadcast of the fundraiser event at 6:45 via Zoom on April 16th. Sponsorships available from $250. Items for the auction welcome through March 25th. Visit palousehabitat.org for more information!

It was a whirlwind romance. Dan brought his new bride to the Ranch and Janet soon learned to can and cook on the old 1919 wood Majestic stove. Pigs, chickens and a rooster were cared for during the summers and entertained the two young boys who would soon come along. They decided that they would get a home in Lewiston to spend the winters. Then when school was out they would go up to the Ranch in the summers to keep it up and take care of the animals. Dan’s son, Roch Lorang has a story of when their Black Bantam rooster would find his way to Roch’s downstairs bedroom window very early each morning and raise a lot of cackles when the sun rose. One day Roch couldn’t take it any longer and he crawled out the window, bare feet and all, and chased that rooster all the way to the barn.

WW1 Letter from Pvt. Henry Lorang

“1968, August 26

“Dearest Mom, Paul & Marilyn, Received your letter today and was so glad to hear from you it seems so quiet now without Marilyn. For a couple of days Roch was saying her name. She was good for him he will now go and find something to play with and seems to enjoy his toys more. Thought maybe I would bring his trike up and he could learn to ride it here in the house. He really has been quite a good little boy this week I have been busy canning peaches. Yesterday did 40 qts couldn’t believe I did that many, didn’t start counting till I was all done. So far have a total of 71 qts. And not done yet. Right now am waiting for the blanching water to get hot enough. Have really put the jars you gave me to good use have used all and am now down to the Small mouth. When they are gone thats it, would like to tho put a few in the frezzer. Am not getting so tired of the peaches as I did the berries, was getting to the point of throwing them. Peaches are ready to go so will write more later……

Well I got 15 more quarts of peaches. Dan just got in from the field and is taking a bath. Roch and I have already eaten. After Dan eats were going down to Lewiston. Jars. Am surely lucky this year would hate to be feeding harvesters and canning peaches at the same time, and the weather has been nice and cool for a project like this. Now it can clear up so we can get our crop in. Our garden is doing pretty good pulled a few carrots and had them for supper. Am afraid tho we won’t be getting many tomatoes the blooms keep falling off and the few we have we’ll be lucky. We’ll get a good crop of corn and beans if the frost holds off.

Monday: Gee Sunday didn’t do a thing except rest and play with Roch really it was kind of nice. We came back up to the ranch Sunday nite. Roch is now down for his nap. and I think I’ll join him. My few peaches I have left am going to make some frozen jam, but it will be a few more days till they are nice and ripe.

Am going in this afternoon to do a washing and one of these days am going to have to give this house a cleaning, befor harvest. This place can really get dirty. Sounds like you and the kids had good luck with the shopping. The people in Lewiston are busy getting their kids ready for school. Well I finally got my wrap around dress done and I like it real well. I decided to bring the sewing machine up to the ranch and have use it quite a bit. I would like to make a few more clothes. Dan did get after me tho and sent me to town to get some clothes. Oh yes if Marilyn wants her sweater & jacket I’ll send them. Will close for now. -All our love, Janet, Dan and Roch

Janet and Dan Lorang

“Thurs. – 10th – 1968

Dearest Janet, Dan, and Roch, Your letter came and found us hugging the heat, too. Fall is definitely in the air now, leaves are turning and starting to drop. Sure hate the thoughts of winter coming. Everything is in from the garden now, except a few carrots. The frost got the few green tomatoes I was nursing along, but Bernard donated some of his along with some green peppers in exchange for wood for his stove. I was glad to have him take the wood, it was only laying out there in the open and would have gone to waste, besides making a mess.

I’m glad you are going to put in an electric stove and furnace at the ranch, they will make life a little more pleasant and convenient for you when you are there. Grandma cooked on a wood-coal range for years, but I’m afraid if I had to do it, we’d all either starve or learn to eat everything raw. I roasted a turkey last Sunday for dinner and remarked that I should do it once in a while and keep in practice, and your little sister remarked right back that I didn’t do it often enough, I burn everything now as it is. All I did was scorch some potatoes. How are you feeling now, dear? By now, I imagine you are starting to feel top-heavy. Rest all you can and take good care of yourself. The mailman will be coming soon, so I’d better close for now. Write when you can. All our love, Mom & the kids

So the multiple children and large families had moved on. This was now the home of Janet & Dan Lorang and their two sons, Roch and Dreu. Dan made several efforts to preserve the archives of his father and grandfather. The roof was replaced on the old c.1873-1904 Farmhouse. And the older section of the Farmhouse was completely encased in foam. As a last resort Dan tried this to insulate and preserve the section on the home, which had a wooden farm kitchen floor repaired by his father Henry, that had fallen through in the 1920’s. The floor of the 1884 section was having problems as well. The early bathtub was falling through the 1905 bathroom floor. Dan moved the bathroom to his grandmother Mary’s sewing room and restored the 1884 floor. The 1878 Log cabin was shored up off the ground and the hill beside it was pushed back. In 1968 Henry Lorang had passed away and items from his bedroom were stored in a small lean-to built onto the 1880’s Curio cabin, by Dan Lorang and his good friend Rosie Rosenberger. It was years later before we found out that those stored items included 100+ year old photography collections and 1877-1919 letters and an endless amount more. Dan also started to set up a Century Farm application. Now completed. And began a handwritten lists of all the trees that had been cut down since he was a young man. Dan made a list of some WWII newspapers and hand drawings and measurements for the 1880’s blacksmith shop and woodshed which had to be torn down. Just recently this 1884 floor was repaired again in another spot, under the old brick chimney by a great, great grandson of John and Mary Lorang, mason Nathan Lorang.

For more of the escapades of Dan and Janet Lorang’s young family, see the next issue of Home&Harvest.