Lora Dexter Curtis's parents were Newman Curtis (1797-1859) and Maria Van Bergen Curtis (1799-1878). The Curtis family came from Shelby, Orleans County, New York, before moving to Iowa where they farmed in Bremer and Independence counties. The family is well documented. His siblings were: Catherine V. (Nash), Ann Elizabeth (Whitney), William Van Bergen, Harriet Newell (Post), Newman, John Lackland, Martha J.(Carl), Edwin Gates, Eleanor Aberetta (Hart), Lyman, Mary Elizabeth (Whaite), Henry Clay, and Wilbur Fiske.

Lora married Eliza Martin on June 26 1859 in Independence, Iowa, a month after his father died. He was responsible to help his brother Lyman with the farms. His mother was aging and in the meantime had entered war service and was wounded. They had two children in Independence, moved to the Salina, Kansas area, then moved in 1874 to Saguache County, Colorado because of his poor health. They had one more child in Saguache. The children were Mary Alice (Campbell), Wilbur Lora, and George Henry. Mary ended up in Roseburg, Oregon and Wilbur and George stayed in Colorado (Saguache and Gunnison).

Lora's health improved and in 1881 he became one of four owners (with Isaac Gotthelf, Leopold Mayer, and Charles Tarbell) of the Saguache Land and Cattle Company which bred and sold cattle and horses on around 5,000 acres. He became manager and later his son, George, became manager in 1896. He had an oxen shoeing business for the teams that traversed the SLV on the way to Gunnison.He was an ardent Republican. Per Helen Glenn, granddaughter of Lora, there was a saying in Saguache, "God help Mayer, but Curtis can take care of himself!"

Sources: The Curtis Book by R. & L. Guess, c. 1993; Lora and Eliza Curtis in Colorado by Pat Glenn Hagood, The Saguache County Museum: Images of the Past, V. 1, 1996. Written by great great granddaughter Nancy Hagood