Idora Irene Wortman passed away on November 29, 2022, at age 93, nearly 94. She was born on the family farm near Glencross, SD on December 16, 1928 to Jacob and Elizabeth Reis Kraft, the 8th of 16 children. She attended grade school in a small country school about a mile from the farm and graduated from Timber Lake High School about 8 miles from Glencross.
Even with all the hard work on the prairie farms, there was a little time left for dancing, which is where the beautiful Idora met her future husband from Isabel, SD. In 1948, in Timber Lake, SD, she married the handsome and charming Marion Wortman, with whom she would spend the next 59 years, until his death in 2007. Their first year together tested them as farmers during the devastating winter of 1949. They then followed road construction across Iowa, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, and New Mexico for many years. Along the way, they had twelve children. In 1966, they settled in Lander, WY where their thirteenth child was born. Most of her life was dedicated to caring for her children and she became skilled in many areas…baking, cooking, sewing, canning, gardening, crocheting, tending sick kids, doing laundry, carpentry, and constant housekeeping, to mention a few.
From 1965 to 1986 Idora also worked outside the home. Some of her jobs were at Westward Heights Nursing Home, and WY State Training School in the Health Care Center where she became good friends with Doc Mary.
Idora and Marion were raised in the Catholic faith and Idora was active in the St Anne’s Altar Society in Lander for whom she would sew many items, especially mittens, and bake many dishes and loaves of bread to help with fundraisers. Craft fairs became a constant endeavor, with Idora making her famous crocheted rugs and angels, beaded ornaments and jewelry, wreaths, and dried flower arrangements. She also spent many hours making baby blankets to donate to Abba House.
Many weekends were spent with the family up in the mountains cutting firewood, on hikes and picnics, or in the desert hunting rocks. As the children grew up, Idora and Marion started going to their much beloved Wiggins Fork outside of Dubois, WY, establishing a family tradition that is now in its fourth generation. They also began the Snow Bird trips south in the winter, enjoying the companionship of many seniors at Quartzite, AZ.
In 2006, Idora and Marion moved to Hudson, WY where she continued to live after Marion’s
death. In 2017, she moved to Riverton to an independent living apartment where she made friends and enjoyed potluck dinners, pinochle, and bingo.
She is survived by her children Claudia (Gary) Weger of Pagosa Springs, CO; Michaela (Michael) Dabich of Hudson, WY; Suzanne (Joe Paul) Crofts of Lander, WY; Karen (Jim) Wallis of Reno, NV; Shawn Wortman of Lander, WY; Barbara (Darrin) Goyn of Sheridan, WY; Joseph Wortman of Carlin, NV; Christine Quinn of Bozeman, MT; Michael (Jackie) Wortman of Cheyenne, WY; and Thomas (Renae) Wortman of Reno, NV; thirty grandchildren, and forty-three great grandchildren. She is also survived by three brothers and sisters: Edie Scherer, Marie Klein, and Fred Kraft.
Preceding her in death were her husband Marion Wortman, her parents and three children:
Marie Fowler, Kevin Wortman, and Teresa Conine; son-in-law Larry Fowler and daughter-in-law Jamie Lynn Wortman. Also, preceding her were twelve brothers and sisters; Tony Kraft,
Claudius Kraft, Edward Kraft, Eleanor Kraft, Gene Kraft, Herman Kraft, Andrew Kraft, Helen
Bracken, Francis Kraft, Jack Kraft, David Kraft, Dick Kraft and many in-laws.
A memorial and mass will be held July 1, 2023 at St. Margaret’s Catholic church, followed by luncheon. Inurnment will take place in Hudson Cemetery later in the afternoon.