Helen Lenora Davidson (Nora) passed away at her home in Central Point, Oregon on March 24, 2024 just shy of her 90th birthday. She was born on April 16, 1934 in Alma, Colorado, the youngest child of Edward Thomas Mattingly and Florence Ellen Mattingly. She spent most of her younger years in Colorado, where she married Gerald Foster and raised 6 children. When they were grown, Nora moved to Fairbanks, Alaska with her second husband, Jim Starr, and they became part owners of a gold mine.

Wherever Nora went, she always seemed to end up in the kitchen. From the hospital kitchen in Montrose, Colorado, to being the camp cook at the gold mine in Alaska. She then went on to cook at the county jail in Fairbanks. Her interest in cooking led to her getting a degree as a Nutritionist at the University of Fairbanks, and then she started her own catering business.

In the early 1990's Nora and Jim moved home from Alaska to Eagle Point, Oregon. They both had booths at the Central Point Flea Market, Jim sold tools and Nora sold food. After Jim's passing, Nora bought the Cookhouse Café in Central Point and reopened it as "Lenora's Cookhouse Café". She made her food from scratch, and her home cooking was so popular, people came from all over the area to eat there. Nora married the love of her life, Ray Davidson, in November of 1999 and they would have celebrated their 25th anniversary this year. After Nora sold her restaurant she still loved to cook and was always trying new recipes and sharing them with her family. She loved gardening and grew her own vegetables and herbs. She canned a lot of what she grew, and made her own unique jams by combining different ingredients. She loved growing flowers, especially roses. Her favorite was the Nancy Raegan rose she got at Harry and David's. Nora loved to sew. She was also enthralled with the Japanese culture and dreamed of visiting there one day. Nora loved babies and children and they would bring a smile to her face.

At age 80, Nora was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Gradually she began to forget how to do small things, until tasks like making coffee or a salad proved too much for her. Her memories faded until the only thing she remembered was her husband Ray, who stayed by her side and was her caregiver until her last breath.

Nora is survived by her husband, Ray Davidson, his daughter Paula (Ted) Childress of Central Point, and Nora's children Sandra (Mike Matzke) Dabney of Craig, Colorado; Gerry (Rhonda) Foster of Corona, California; Florence Nichols of Clifton, Colorado; Stephen (Darlene) Foster of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Susan (Ron) Pottberg of Delta, Colorado; Anna (Barry) Clark of St John's, Arizona; 28 grandchildren, 58 great-grandchildren and 6 (soon to be 7) great-great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Edward Thomas Mattingly Sr and Florence Ellen Mattingly; brothers Edward Thomas Mattingly Jr, and Thomas (Evelyn) Edward Mattingly; sisters Agnes (Donald) Williamson, Caroline (Edward) Knizley, Elizabeth (Whitey) Reynolds and Patricia (Gordon) Steidel; granddaughter Mary Louise Dabney; step-daughter Gail Hendricks; her first husband Gerald Foster Sr, and second husband Jim Starr.

Nora's funeral service will be held on Monday, April 8, 2024 at 10:00 am at the Perl Funeral Home in Medford, followed by internment at the Veteran's Cemetery in Eagle Point on April 8, 2024 at 2:00 pm.