Lorrene L. Hombach (1922-2003)

HOMBACH

Posted By: Arizona Sunshine
Date: 3/30/2003 at 10:39:10

The Daily Nonpareil
28 March 2003

Lorrene L. Hombach

Lorrene Lillian (Sloan) Hombach, widow of Dr. William P. Hombach, died Dec. 2, 2002, at Risen Son Christian Village. Private services were held at Cutler-O'Neill-Meyer-Woodring Funeral Home Dec. 5, 2002, and burial was in the Hombach Family plot.

She was born Aug. 16, 1922. She had resided at Risen Son since 1995. She came to Council Bluffs with her husband in the mid 1960s, and the family lived at 3112 5th Ave. for many years. She helped her husband daily in his dental practice and as his help mate and companion who supported him with his polio disability. Dr. Hombach was the son of Nell and Dr. Walter Hombach, longtime Council Bluffs residents.

Lorrene was a talented musician, and played both piano and drums in orchestra in her early years. She was a terrific cook and a lively, warm and fun-loving person, a high school cheer leader, and a creative homemaker. During her time at Risen Son, she was known and loved by the staff for her sense of humor and warmth.

During the early 1940s, she was a young war bride in San Francisco and later settled in Akeley, Minn. She was previously married to Michael B. Elavsky, also of Akeley. In the 1950s, she worked hard on a rural dairy farm as wife and mother. She was the eldest daughter of Marie Jenks Mountford and Thomas Sloan, both lifelong Minnesota residents. Her mother was from a distinguished Scots/Irish family and a descendent of Joseph H. Jackson, a founder and settler of Oshkosh, Wis. Her father, a World War I veteran, was a descendant of early Minnesota settler John Randolph "Pewter Eyes" Sloan (1824-1904) and a talented Native American, Maggie "Odish-quah-gah-me-quay" who is written up in the early history of Fergus Falls and Morrison County, Minn., for her skills of canoeing, ricing and hunting.

Lorrene is survived by five children, Michael Elavsky of Minneapolis and Las Cruces, N.M., Marlys (Elavsky) Appleton of Riverdale, N.Y., and Miami Beach, Fla.; Greg Elavsky of Kalispell, Mont., Steven Hombach of Omaha and Cheri (Hombach) Snelling of Council Bluffs; a sister, Delores Richmond, of Pico Rivera, California; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, two nieces and one nephew.

She was preceded in death by her brother, William Sloan. Lorrene will be remembered at Eucharist Prayer on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Queen of Apostles in Council Bluffs.

©Daily Nonpareil 2003