Doris Traynor, age 95, passed away peacefully at the Spring Valley Health and Rehabilitation Center on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. Doris Marie Krause was born on July 1, 1931 in Elmwood, Wis., the daughter of Fred and Fannie Krause. She was baptized and confirmed at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Elmwood. She graduated from Elmwood High School. On Aug. 7, 1951, she was united in marriage to Willard “Jack” Traynor at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Elmwood. The couple raised two children, Stephen and Carol, and were married for 61 years until Willard’s death in 2012.
Doris worked for Walter Butler Company in St. Paul before her marriage and at Sanna Dairies for six years. She worked for District 1 Vocational School in New Richmond as office manager, and then at the Pierce County Courthouse as the bookkeeper in the County Clerk’s office. After an early resignation of the County Clerk, Doris was appointed to fill that position. She then came to the Spring Valley School District where she worked as a secretary for 28 years.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Willard; son, Stephen; and two brothers, Walter Krause and Donald Krause. She is survived by her daughter Carol (Jerry) Bressler; daughter-in-law Mary Traynor; and five grandchildren: Nadine (Craig) Haas, Jamie (Ryan) Faber, Christina (Kevin) Kienlen, Chris (Steph) Traynor and Sarah Ellefson; great-grandchildren; Gracie, Ava, Peyton, Charlotte, Cameron, Wesley, Harrison, Nora, Sadie, Lillian, Braelynn, and other relatives and many dear friends.
Doris’s family would like to express our immense gratitude to all the wonderful caring and compassionate staff at SVHRC who took such excellent care of Doris during her stay there.
Mass of Christian burial for Doris Traynor was held on Friday, Sept. 11 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Spring Valley. Burial was in the Parish cemetery.
Arrangements are entrusted to O’Connell Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Spring Valley. For more information or to share a memory, please visit www.oconnellfuneralhomes.com or call 715-778-5501.
