Leona “Lee” Grace Kellow, daughter of Lloyd and Nora Kellow, left us on Sunday October 19, 2025 to go swing dancing to a live band on a dance floor full of twirls, spins, dips and laughter. Her passing was peaceful with her children and grandchildren caring for and supporting her. Lee told everyone she met that she was lucky to have lived a long and wonderful life full of love, travel and work and that she was blessed with a large and amazing family from top to bottom. Lee was born in Woodburn on December 29, 1932 as the fifth of what would be seven Kellow children. The family was most comfortable on the Oregon Coast and soon moved back to settle on the Kellow homestead in Oretown. Although life on the homestead was hard work, Lee could talk for hours about the fun that was had playing on the farm and helping with the many family chores. Lee attended very small one-room grade schools in Oretown and then near Cloverdale when the family moved from Oretown to a dairy and mink farm in Pacific City. Lee was a dreamer and achiever and was always ready to take on new challenges so she was excited to shift from grade school to Nestucca Union High School where she thrived. During her senior year a “handsome new boy from Eugene” enrolled at Nestucca and Lee had found her future husband, Ken Loretz. Lee and Ken were married after she attended a glorious year at the University of Oregon. They raised a family and lived in Bend, Salem and Pacific City. Lee loved to work and enjoyed working part time in schools while her three children were young. She embarked on a career with the U.S. Forest Service in 1970 that kept her challenged and engaged in work she loved until her retirement. She held management positions in Ranger Stations in Hebo, Bear Springs, Gresham, Sisters and Estacada. After retiring from the Forest Service Lee returned to Woodburn and looked for opportunities to continue working and being involved in the community. She took a teaching assistant position at French Prairie Middle School and worked with others to coordinate adult education classes at Chemeketa Community College and educational field trips for the Senior Estates Community. Lee loved movies, concerts and plays and worked for years as a volunteer usher at Portland venues “to see great entertainment for free!” Exercise was a routine for Lee who could be seen walking the many streets of the Senior Estates or engaged in the social fun of yoga groups.
Our mother was a small town girl but she had big dreams and a desire to travel and see new places. She proudly boasted traveling to 33 countries and visiting 38 states. Her last major trip was to Churchill Downs race track in Kentucky. Mom loved watching horse races and the associated fanfare and never missed a Kentucky Derby.
Lee was a proud, engaged and downright fun mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She was always game for activities and loved being the center of attention and fun. She was also proud to be “Aunt Lee” to 21 nieces and nephews. She is survived by her three children, Mike (Kathy) Loretz, Bev (Frank) Yesmant, and Cindy Ashley, her six grandchildren; Dan (Candace), Melissa, Alex (Claire), Taylor, Ian, and Calvin, and four great grandchildren Jack, Tori, Sam and Livia. She was preceded in death by her amazing brothers Howard, Forest and Merle and her beloved sisters Dorothy, Lois and Glenda.
Our mother always put her children and her family first. Education was precious to her and she never missed a graduation of a family member. No matter what activity we did our mom was in the stands, on the sidelines or in the audience supporting us, and yes, we could hear her. We hope that mom’s strength and energized spirit has rejoined her beloved family and that she can now be on a lively dance floor dancing as often and as long as she wants.
There will be a Celebration of Life for Lee on Saturday, December 6th beginning at 1:00 p.m. at The Senior Estates Golf and Country Club Auditorium at 1776 Country Club Road in Woodburn.