Loren Glessner

Loren Glessner, 95, passed away on Friday, April 21, 2023, in Chelan, WA, from heart failure. He was born on July 1, 1927, in Lakeside, WA, to Cecil and Gladys Glessner, the second of four children. He attended Mansfield grade school and high school. When he finished school, he entered the U.S. Army and was sent to Fort Lewis and then later, to Camp Stoneman in California. From there, he was sent to Camp Hillenmeyer in Kunsan, Korea on January 4, 1947. Loren spent a little more than 13 months in Korea and then, arrived back in the United States on March 4, 1948. He was discharged from the U.S.Army on March 22, 1948. Then, on June 10, 1950, he married Diane Strumski in Mansfield, WA. Upon returning home to Mansfield, he started farming with his father on the family farm. In 1977 when his father passed, he took over the family farm and worked it until he retired, in 1995. Loren will be remembered as a good athlete and was invited to join the Eastern Washington State College basketball team, until he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He spent many evenings playing town team basketball in the winter and in the summer, spent a lot of time playing town team baseball. They traveled all over the states and into Canada for tournaments. He and his lifelong friend, Darel Branscom, coached our Little League baseball team during the summer. They spent a lot of hours after work helping us learn and better our baseball skills. In our later years through Babe Ruth and American Legion, then some college baseball, he was always there to root us on. Thank you for being there. In his later years, after retiring, he became an avid golfer and had a regular group he played with three times a week. He enjoyed his golf buddies: Gary, Keven, Ron, Doug, Hal, Ron, and Darel. Thank you for letting him join you for those years of golf. Among several of his golf trips, he was thrilled to get to play Pebble Beach. Some highlights of Loren’s life were family vacations to Banff, Yellowstone, Ocean Shores, and Disneyland. On a trip to California, we got to watch the Yankees play Oakland and see Mickey Mantle hit one of his final homeruns. We traveled often to Spokane, WA, to watch the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team. We got to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers play there. Diane and Loren were able to travel to Pennsylvania and see one of his army buddies, Andy Lelik. They also got to travel to Omaha, NE and watch the 50th anniversary of the NCAA College Baseball World Series, in 1996. Most of all, Loren was happiest being home with Diane in Mansfield. Loren was preceded in death by his parents; wife; three sisters; and son, Randy Glessner. He is survived by daughter, Debbie Wilson (Bob, deceased); son, Kerry Glessner (Resa); along with six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. The family is planning on a Celebration of Life for Loren and Diane in mid-September.

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Loren Glessner

July 1, 1927 - April 21, 2023