Lorna E. Champion

March 12, 1923 - January 13, 2015

Lorna E. Champion, 91, of Lutheran Home, passed away on Tuesday, January 13, 2015. Lorna was born on March 12, 1923 in Olean, NY, the daughter of the late Oliver T. and Olive Rebecca Cady Barnes. She graduated from Olean High School in 1941. She worked at Cattaraugus County Department of Health as a Lab Technician. She retired from there in 1970. She then moved to Jamestown and worked at Union Guard and Cummins Engine. She retired from Cummins Engine in 1986. She was baptized at Bethel A.M.E Church in Olean, N.Y. She served as a choir director, choir member, stewardess, and a trustee. Lorna formed a junior choir and was very involved in the youth department. She was a former member of the Blackwell Chapel A.M.E Zion Church and served as a trustee and choir member. She was also a member of Lutheran Social Services and will be remembered there for her beautiful singing. Lorna was a member of Links, Chautauqua County Women’s Republican Club, GOP Committee, Eastern Star and Liberty Club. She was an Election Inspector for 20 years. Lorna was a member of Chautauqua Community Choir and part of the Martin Luther King singing group. She loved music and singing. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Champion Jr., by one son, Gerald H. Brooks, by three brothers, Oramel, Darwin and Charles Barnes and by one sister, Lois Easley. She is survived by two daughters, Norma Brooks Williams, of Tampa, FL., and Lorna Brooks Bonner, of Dallas, Texas, one stepson John B. Champion, of North Carolina, by two stepdaughters, Ann Burnell, of Anchoridge, Alaska and Phyllis (Thomas) Torbjornsen, of Jamestown, NY, one brother, Robert T.(Hosea) Barnes, of Rochester, NY; five grandchildren, Stacey (Brian) Harner, Tampa, FL, Diana Williams, of Arlington, VA, Kala Bonner, of Houston, Texas, Valerie Hatchet, of Jersey City, NJ and Saniya (Mark) Algiers, Long Beach, CA. She is also survived by one great grandson, Zachary Harner, of Tampa, FL. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews. She is survived by one cousin, Paul Crawford. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Powers, Present & Sixbey Funeral Home, Inc., 316 East Fifth Street, Jamestown, NY 14701. Friends may call at the Lutheran Chapel, 715 Falconer Street, Jamestown, on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 from 10:00 AM until the time of the funeral service there at 11:00 AM. Burial will be in Sunset Hill Cemetery, Lakewood, NY. Memorials may be made to the Lutheran Home, 715 Falconer Street, Jamestown, NY 14701. To send the family condolences or to light a candle visit www.presentsixbeyfuneral.com