Lorena E. Fron, age 102, of Prior Lake, passed away Sunday, April 23, 2017. Mass of Christian Burial will be on Thursday, May 4 th at 11AM with visitation prior from 9:00 to 10:30, all at St. Michael Catholic Church, Prior Lake.
For 102 years, Lorena Elizabeth VanThorre Fron lived life exactly the way she wanted, and on Sunday, April 23, 2017, she passed away exactly the way she wanted: at home on a bed of purple sheets surrounded by her devoted family. On her 100 th birthday, when asked how she managed to live so long, she said, “Just by being ornery.” Ornery or not, Lorena was the formidable matriarch of a big, loving family as well as an entrepreneur and business owner for more than 50 years. She lived a full and happy life, and she lived it on her own terms. More than anything, Lorena loved a good story. Here are some of hers.
Lorena was born September 26, 1914, in Moline, IL. Her parents, Sadie (Teerlinck) and Achiel VanThorre, Belgium immigrants, owned and ran VanThorre Hardware in East Moline, IL. Lorena was the oldest of four children with a younger sister and two younger brothers. She graduated from high school in 1932 and earned advanced credits from Immaculate Conception Academy in Davenport, IA.
Lorena was a teenager during the Great Depression and often worked in her father’s store. The story goes that one day a homeless man came into the store and spent time wandering around the aisles. His clothes were worn and he had not bathed in some time. When there were no other customers in the store, he took a large knife from one of the shelves and threatened young Lorena, demanding the money from the till. Lorena refused. Knowing her father was working downstairs, Lorena argued loudly and stomped her foot on the floor repeatedly. Her dad eventually came upstairs, grabbed an ax handle, snuck up behind the man, and smacked him on the head. Instead of calling the police, Lorena and her father took the man upstairs where the family lived, cleaned him up, fed him, gave him a fresh set of clothes, and then they gave him a job. Because of this act of kindness, the man was devoted to Lorena’s family for life and became an indispensable part of the business.
On May 25, 1935, Lorena married Adam Fron, against the wishes of her parents or, at least, of her mother. One version of that story goes that even though they were eloping, Lorena wanted to walk out of the front door on her wedding day (presumably instead of sneaking out of her bedroom window), so instead of wearing a traditional white gown Lorena wore a smart navy dress with white polka dots—living life on her own terms.
Lorena and Adam moved to Minnesota in 1944 to run an International Harvester dealership in Mabel. Within a few years, they moved to Winnebago to buy their own dealership. In 1949, they moved their dealership to Mapleton and added a hardware store under the Our Own Hardware brand, as well as a sheet metal and plumbing shop. Adam was a master plumber who did plumbing contracts for local businesses, so Lorena ran the hardware store. Lorena and Adam lived in the apartments above the store. It was in Mapleton that they raised their family.
Lorena and Adam had two children, Michaela “Mickey” Sidney Fron and Casey Michael John Fron; plus, Casey’s college roommate, Joe Pung, who moved in with them in 1961 and who they considered a son; and AnneMarie Hofer, who lived with the family as an exchange student from Austria and who they considered a daughter. Lorena loved taking her grandchildren to the fall hardware-buying convention, where they tried and tested all the new toys coming to market. She let them play in the store, often with an old adding machine under her big double desk; and when they were old enough, she let them help with inventory and wrapping gifts. Every year Lorena and Adam traveled with Our Own Hardware, often taking Mickey and her husband, Tom Dalsin, and Casey and his wife, Ann, on these adventures. Lorena and Adam were also members of the Mankato Golf Club for many years. Adam was an avid golfer, and on Sundays Lorena would enjoy brunch and pool time with the grandkids (okay, so maybe it was the grandkids who enjoyed the pool time).
Lorena was widowed in 1979 and continued running the business on her own for nearly 20 more years, though she did finally paint the store’s tin ceiling her favorite color—purple. Lorena had a reputation in town for being as tough as the nails she sold by the pound out of wooden bins in her store, but she was also filled with compassion. For those she befriended and the projects she undertook, she was a champion of good. Lorena led volunteers to plant trees from Mankato to Mapleton, 22 miles known as Memorial Highway. She was the instigator of Mapleton’s annual celebration called Town and Country Days, and in 1984, was awarded the Sertoma Award for her dedication to the community.
Lorena retired and moved to Prior Lake in 1997 to be closer to her family. She loved to play games (and we love to play them with her), including Pfeffer, Cribbage and Rummikub. Many important life lessons were shared around that game table. When no one else was around, she played Solitaire. She exercised at Dakota Fitness three days a week well after her 100 th birthday, and was often seen cheering on her great-grandchildren at sporting events. She leaves a legacy of strength and courage, the importance of blazing your own trail, and the pricelessness of time spent with family.
Lorena is survived by her daughter, Michaela (Tom) Dalsin; daughter-in-law, Ann (Frank Pravato) Fron; 9 grandchildren, Elizabeth (Todd) Shuman, Michelle (Fabian) Zeller, Jon (Cheryl) Dalsin, Sarah (Enrique) Lima, Jennifer (Jonathan) Fron Mauer, Christopher “Duffy” (Tia) Fron, Heidi (Chris) Catron, Matthew (Solenn Honorine) Fron and Nicholas (Karin) Dalsin; 16 great-grandchildren, Maxwell Shuman, Madison Shuman, Lily Dalsin, Abby Dalsin, Kimberly Lima, Tania Lima, Henry Lima, Madeleine Mauer, Kirsten “Kiki” Mauer, Isabella Fron, Adam Fron, Mason Catron, Carson Catron, Maia Fron, Aiden Fron and Ariella Dalsin; brother, James (Dee) VanThorre; many other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Adam Fron; son, Casey Fron; sister, Joanne (Walt) Schulte; brother, Robert (Alta) VanThorre and her parents.
