Delores Ann Clayton

Delores (Lorrie) Ann Clayton (nee Thompson) of Grafton passed away peacefully on June 13, 2024 at the age of 90 years. Lorrie was born in Waupaca on December 20, 1933 to Ole and Lizzie (nee Rasmussen) Thompson. Lorrie grew up the second of three sisters on her parents’ farm and attended Barton School, a one-room schoolhouse, through 8th grade. She graduated from Waupaca High School in 1951 as the salutatorian and went to college at UW-Stevens Point, graduating in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science in Primary Education.

It was at Stevens Point that Lorrie met her mate, William (Bill) Clayton. They recently celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary. Lorrie and Bill were engaged on Valentine's Day, 1954 and married May 7, 1955. Soon afterwards, they moved to Hawaii, where Bill was stationed in the Navy. Lorrie lived on the naval base in Pearl Harbor, where their first child, Deborah (Debbi) was born in 1956. After returning to Wisconsin in 1957, their second child, Scott, was born in 1959. Lorrie loved spending time with her family, and she was blessed with five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Lorrie and Bill lived most of their married life in Cedarburg and then Grafton. Lorrie was a teacher, serving at all three elementary schools in the Cedarburg School District over the course of her career. She and Bill have been long-time members of Trinity Lutheran Church, Cedarburg. In retirement, they loved to travel, embarking on elder hostels, wintering in Gulf Shores, and annually visiting Door County. Lorrie also undertook compiling her family’s genealogy, culminating in a trip to Norway to meet family.

Lorrie had a fun-loving and competitive spirit. She enjoyed playing games with family, friends, and her bridge club. She and Bill also played golf. Lorrie was an artist at heart. Her collection of counted cross-stitch and scrapbooks were beautifully rendered and will remain treasured works for her family in the years to come. She was the family tradition keeper, making her famous chop suey and jam and teaching multiple generations of her family how to make and decorate her Christmas cutout cookies.

Lorrie was preceded in death by her parents; her in-laws, David and Alice Clayton; her sister, Nancy Carlson; and her brothers-in-law, Kenneth Milius and Dan Carlson. She is survived by her husband, Bill; her sister, Donna Milius; her children, Deborah and Scott (Barbara); her grandchildren, Alana (David) Wagner, Aaron Gresch, Hannah Clayton, Evan Clayton, and Sarah (John) Breaux; and her great-grandchildren, Bailey and Kira Wagner. She was also loved by many cousins in Waupaca and Scandinavia, as well as by her niece, Julie (Dave) Ulseth, and her nephews, Craig (Lin) Milius, Mike (Sandy) Milius, Tim (Kristen) Milius, and Eric (Kim) Carlson, along with their children.

We would like to thank the staff at Aurora Hospital, Lasata Care Center and Crossings, and Horizon’s Lawlis Family Hospice for tenderly caring for Lorrie at the end of her life.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, June 24, 2024, at 11:00 AM, at Trinity Lutheran Church, N60W6047 Columbia Road, Cedarburg, WI 53012. Private family burial will take place at Zur Ruhe Cemetery, Cedarburg. A visitation will take place, on Monday, at the church from 10:00 AM until the time of service, and a luncheon will follow the service. Memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church or a charity of your choice.