Lorna Helen (Ebert) Grohman

October 23, 1931 – November 11, 2025

Lorna passed away peacefully in the early evening of November 11, 2025. She was surrounded by family and love. In the month prior to her death, she had received excellent care from Providence Hospice. During her last month, she also celebrated her 94th birthday with family and friends.

Lorna was born on October 23,1931 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Mathilde “Tillie” Schmidt and Oscar Ebert. She was the third child of six, growing up on a dairy farm in Osseo, Minnesota. Lorna had fond memories of life on the farm and shared many of these with family and friends over the years.

At a young age, Lorna knew she wanted to become a nurse after a trip to the hospital for a tonsillectomy. She went to school in a one room schoolhouse and enjoyed English and Science, but not Math. Lorna attended Hamline University and University of Minnesota where she received her BSN degree and a Masters in Education. In 1960 she moved to Portland, Oregon where she taught medical surgical nursing at OHSU.

Lorna grew up Lutheran and always participated in learning and growing in her faith. She met the love of her life in 1960 while working with a church youth program. Russell Grohman had also moved to Portland from Minnesota and dated Lorna for a year before asking her to marry him. They enjoyed Scrabble games, skiing, hiking, long talks, and meals with friends. She loved his patience, kindness, and sense of humor. They married on December 29,1962 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They spent their honeymoon traveling back to Portland. Within a year, they had their first child (Marie). Shortly thereafter, they purchased a home in NE Portland where they raised their two daughters (Marie and Ruth) and resided for the duration of Russ’s life.

Lorna pursued creative outlets both as a mom and as a community leader. She was an avid gardener, baker, seamstress, and creative arts lover. She invited the community into her world through 4-H, church events, volunteering, and shared holiday meals.

Lorna’s life work was serving her community. For years she volunteered to teach kids, with learning disabilities, how to read. She worked for the Red Cross for many years providing support and educating caregivers throughout the AIDS epidemic. She taught Red Cross babysitting courses and ran blood pressure clinics to serve at risk communities. She started gardens with children at Vernon School next to her church, Redeemer Lutheran. Lorna was a church member at Redeemer (now Salt and Light) until her death. She participated in all aspects of the church, often engaging children in realizing their strengths and potential. Many of these children remained close to her after they left the church. And in retirement, she once again volunteered to help children with reading through the SMART program at Vernon school.

Lorna was a gardener through and through. She found solace and joy in her own garden, spending many hours creating bean trellises or using her bare hands to plant seeds and work the soil. Lorna particularly loved working in the garden with her three grandsons. She created many memories through sharing Scrabble games, desserts, and many heartfelt meaningful conversations over the years with “her boys”.

Lorna was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Russell in 2004. She is survived by her daughter, Marie Grohman (Bryce Ulrich), daughter Ruth Grohman, and her grandsons Cole Myers (Ella Paliy), Francis Myers, and Skye (Trygg) Ulrich.

Lorna’s Celebration of Life with be held from 1-3pm February 14, 2025 at Salt and Light Lutheran Church 5431 NE 20th Ave, Portland, OR 97211.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Lorna’s memory to the OHSU School of Nursing.