Lori was born May 3, 1962, at Spokane, Wash., the daughter of Butch and Janet (Thompson) Brantner. Lori attended her first three years of grade school in Pullman, Wash., and completed grade school and high school in Palouse when the family moved to Palouse in 1970. Lori graduated from Palouse High School in 1980. She then attended Spokane Community College in Spokane and received her degree in nursing in 1985.
Lori has worked in nursing all of her adult life. For the past 12 years, she has been the nursing clinical coordinator at Pullman Regional Hospital in Pullman.