The yellow pad I carried to Providence Hospital Cafeteria put there by divine nudging. Here is part one of the L.L. L. Biography scribbled down at during our lunch together. This is a work in progress. There are many details that will be added later....but I thought my siblings, nieces and nephews might enjoy a snapshot of Lenore Loretto Leines. If you have any questions or remember any stories please write them in the comment section of the posting.
Grandparents, Mother’s side: Patrick Regan and Henora Maloney
Patrick Regan was Henora’s second husband, her first husband died
Grandparents, Mother’s side: Patrick Regan and Henora Maloney
Patrick Regan was Henora’s second husband, her first husband died
Grandparents, Father’s side: Dr. Wilfred Weller and MollyWeller was not really his last name. When Wilfred chose to marry Molly, he was disinherited because she was not a Catholic. He changed his last name. Mom says she has the birth certificate with the original last name, given to her by Anne Weller.
Mother: Loretto Margaret Regan
Father: Albert Kavanaugh WellerLenore Loretto Weller was born New Year’s Day in 1930 at Providence Hospital in Portland, 
Oregon. Her mother was Loretto Margaret Regan and her father was Albert Kavanaugh Weller.
She had one sibling, a brother, Wilfred or “Billy” as she called him. He was two and half years older than Lenore.
As a new born, her first home was 503 Grand Avenue. Her toddler years through the first half of first grade, were spent in a duplex located on a cross street in the same neighborhood. The home where she did most of growing up was 3827 North East Davis. It was from this classic dwelling place that she made life-long friends, was tormented by her big brother, started voice lessons, graduated high school, met our father and earned her degree from Lewis and Clark College.
Oregon. Her mother was Loretto Margaret Regan and her father was Albert Kavanaugh Weller.She had one sibling, a brother, Wilfred or “Billy” as she called him. He was two and half years older than Lenore.
As a new born, her first home was 503 Grand Avenue. Her toddler years through the first half of first grade, were spent in a duplex located on a cross street in the same neighborhood. The home where she did most of growing up was 3827 North East Davis. It was from this classic dwelling place that she made life-long friends, was tormented by her big brother, started voice lessons, graduated high school, met our father and earned her degree from Lewis and Clark College.
Lenore entered first grade at Holy Rosary Elementary, yet half way through the year her parents moved to Davis Street, putting her in All Saints School district. Instead of finishing out the first grade, Loretto and Albert made the choice to advance Lenore into the second grade.
In the classrooms and on the play ground of All Saints she made fast friends, both boys and girls, among them: Dorothy Bush Orth, Anne Marie Zenner Harrington, and Joann Pinder. These young ladies, Lenore still corresponds with today. She enjoyed her Catholic education and has no personal scars to share from being taught my Nuns. In addition, she confidently confirms that the fact that Norman Foster was forced to wear a dunce hat and stand in the wastepaper basket in the closet did him no harm. I wonder what Norman Foster would have to say about that.
It was in the fifth grade that Lenore tried her one and only cigarette. It was fashionable and glamorous and inspired by her collection of movie star pictures. Craving to act grown-up and famous-eque, she and her friends went behind the church with a cigarette and match taken from the neighborhood boys. She took a few puffs. Mortified with how awful it tasted and how badly she smelled, she ran directly home and apologized to her mother.
Music was embedded in Lenore’s day in form of records, concerts and church services but her formal lessons began for her and her brother when Lenore was in the fourth grade. Mom describes her teacher, Nelly Tholan, as a mean, giant of a woman, who would slap her fingers incessantly with a ruler to keep them in the correct position. She shares that she hated playing the piano until she was in college. It was then that she finally was able to use her years of training to make extra money playing for ballet classes and church services. She now thanks her mother wholeheartedly for the gift of music and the opportunity to earn a living doing something she loves. This skill later landed her a job as the church organist at the Veterans Domiciliary, where she has worked every Sunday and holidays for the last 34 years.
Mom’s trained singing lessons also began in Nelly Tholan’s studio. Lenore was 12. She learned soprano songs with ease and began performing after only a few hours of instruction. As she grew in her technique she was taken under the instruction of Mrs. Ellis, a refined, stately woman that would be her vocal mentor and dear friend until her death in the 90’s. With Mrs. Ellis guidance Lenore’s voice and stage presence blossomed. She was known for sweet and stunning renditions of , “One Kiss” ending on an easily placed high c, “Love is Where You Find It” with fast moving coloratura sections, “The Lord’s Prayer” and “Summertime” adding a her own heartfelt interpretation to the phrases. Her repertoire included many well-loved classic operas arias and art songs.
Lenore was a born performer. Having grown up listening to the Metropolitan Opera every Saturday morning on the radio and watching the best opera singers perform in concert, she used what she had learned from those experiences and coupled with her own dynamic and care-free personality to captivate audiences from banquet halls to the nationally broadcast Ted Mack radio show. Five foot six, one hundred and twenty pounds, dark naturally wavy hair, arched eyebrows framing blue eyes and fast big smile, Lenore’ petite frame held a huge love for life, people and the stage.
In the classrooms and on the play ground of All Saints she made fast friends, both boys and girls, among them: Dorothy Bush Orth, Anne Marie Zenner Harrington, and Joann Pinder. These young ladies, Lenore still corresponds with today. She enjoyed her Catholic education and has no personal scars to share from being taught my Nuns. In addition, she confidently confirms that the fact that Norman Foster was forced to wear a dunce hat and stand in the wastepaper basket in the closet did him no harm. I wonder what Norman Foster would have to say about that.
It was in the fifth grade that Lenore tried her one and only cigarette. It was fashionable and glamorous and inspired by her collection of movie star pictures. Craving to act grown-up and famous-eque, she and her friends went behind the church with a cigarette and match taken from the neighborhood boys. She took a few puffs. Mortified with how awful it tasted and how badly she smelled, she ran directly home and apologized to her mother.Music was embedded in Lenore’s day in form of records, concerts and church services but her formal lessons began for her and her brother when Lenore was in the fourth grade. Mom describes her teacher, Nelly Tholan, as a mean, giant of a woman, who would slap her fingers incessantly with a ruler to keep them in the correct position. She shares that she hated playing the piano until she was in college. It was then that she finally was able to use her years of training to make extra money playing for ballet classes and church services. She now thanks her mother wholeheartedly for the gift of music and the opportunity to earn a living doing something she loves. This skill later landed her a job as the church organist at the Veterans Domiciliary, where she has worked every Sunday and holidays for the last 34 years.
Mom’s trained singing lessons also began in Nelly Tholan’s studio. Lenore was 12. She learned soprano songs with ease and began performing after only a few hours of instruction. As she grew in her technique she was taken under the instruction of Mrs. Ellis, a refined, stately woman that would be her vocal mentor and dear friend until her death in the 90’s. With Mrs. Ellis guidance Lenore’s voice and stage presence blossomed. She was known for sweet and stunning renditions of , “One Kiss” ending on an easily placed high c, “Love is Where You Find It” with fast moving coloratura sections, “The Lord’s Prayer” and “Summertime” adding a her own heartfelt interpretation to the phrases. Her repertoire included many well-loved classic operas arias and art songs.
Lenore was a born performer. Having grown up listening to the Metropolitan Opera every Saturday morning on the radio and watching the best opera singers perform in concert, she used what she had learned from those experiences and coupled with her own dynamic and care-free personality to captivate audiences from banquet halls to the nationally broadcast Ted Mack radio show. Five foot six, one hundred and twenty pounds, dark naturally wavy hair, arched eyebrows framing blue eyes and fast big smile, Lenore’ petite frame held a huge love for life, people and the stage.
1 comment:
The picture of your mom as a young girl sitting on the step by the planter is sooooo beautiful. I love childhood innocence and beauty. What a great intro into your mom's life. Wonderful!
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