Loretta Jeanne Selma Larson was born on November 22, 1944 in Hallock, Minn., the only daughter of Alton (Tony) and Tillie Larson. She grew up in Lake Bronson with three older brothers and two younger ones. When Loretta was in 7th grade, she had rheumatic fever. Because of her need for specialized medical care, she moved to Edina to live with her beloved aunt and uncle, Elaine and Johnny Anderson and their son, Steve, so she could be close to the right doctors. She spent two years there and it's where she met her lifelong friend, Linda, who lived across the street.

Loretta graduated from Lake Bronson High School (We are the Braves from Lake Bronson High. Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello!) in 1963. Following high school, she moved to Minneapolis with her friends Eldonna Grahn and Sherilyn Collins and spent the summer working for American Hardware Mutual. They had a great time living on Hennepin Ave., but Jack wanted her to come home because he missed her, so she did. Jack and Loretta got engaged and were married on November 30, 1963, in Lake Bronson. After a whirlwind honeymoon to Nashville, they settled in with Jack's parents on the farm near Halma. While Christmas shopping in Grand Forks, Loretta couldn't figure out why she felt so sick. Well, that meant she was having a baby. In August of 1964, after playing a mean game of croquet in the basement at the farm with Mickey, she gave birth to the first of three children, Marna Lee. Three and a half years later, in the dead of winter, the one who was supposed to be the New Year's baby, was born on January 23 – Shane Jason. When they brought him home from the hospital, Marna wanted to know why there wasn't a baby sister? Instead she had to get used to the idea of a brother.  Six years later, still hoping for a baby sister, Marna and Shane welcomed another brother, Dallas Alton. He was born in the heat of summer with a head full of black hair.

In 1969, Jack and Loretta moved to their current home. The school was practically in their backyard and Jack could walk to work at Wikstroms to get in his company truck. Loretta worked various jobs through the years. She worked in the potato fields, babysat, worked at Arctic Cat with her good friend Esther, in the kitchen at the nursing home and owned an upholstery business in Halma with Kathy. She landed a job as the clerk at the post office in Karlstad. That sparked an interest in doing more at the post office. First she was an "officer in charge" at the post office in Gatzke, which she loved and where she made many friends. She eventually landed a permanent postmaster job in Strandquist. Not only did she sort the mail, she was a friend to all the residents – providing candy for the kids, helping their parents fill out forms and welcoming everyone for a good chat.

After she retired from the post office in 2009, Loretta spent some time traveling with friends and relatives in California and across the country. In addition to many visits to California, she and Jack also loved Memphis, Branson, Las Vegas and visiting her brothers in the Twin Cities and Florida. They had also been to South Dakota, Yellowstone and Medora.

In addition to her great love of Elvis, Loretta loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was so proud of her entire family and loved to have get togethers at her house or wherever more than two or three would gather. She loved to celebrate milestone birthdays and anniversaries with family and friends like Susan, Judy, Bonnie, Judi and Eldonna. She loved to plan trips with her friend Kellie and drive to her cabin or to the Twin Cities to visit. She loved going to WE Fest and Kick 'n' Up Kountry with Ardell and Vicki. When she and Jack celebrated their 50th anniversary, friends and relatives came from near and far to surprise them at the Halma Hall. It was a great party with lots of food, music and dancing.

Loretta was a fantastic bowler and bowled for years with the Swingin' B's. Her team was mostly Bothums – Eileen, Angeline, Mary Angela, Lori and Paulette Oien. She always got trophies for high average and high game and never got a 300, but her high game was 242. She spent many hours at the bowling alley in Bronson on Wednesdays and on Sundays for mixed doubles.

Remember the card parties? Many Saturday nights were spent playing smear and poker with friends and family – taking turns hosting and serving lunch. And the Halloween and New Year's parties with Carl and Carol, Lorne and Julie, Glen and Lela, Gene and Kathy and so many others.

Survivors include her husband Jack, daughter Marna (Jim) Gisvold, sons Shane (Lori) Bothum, and Dallas (Leah) Bothum; grandchildren Ashley, Beau, Jacalyn, Katelyn and Nevada; great grandchildren Alysha, Hailey and Molly. Brothers and sisters-in-law: Norval, Terry (Susan), Wendell "Bim" (Gloria), Harley (Evette), Judy (Stephen) Stewart, and brother-in-law Mickey (Bonnie), in addition to her cat Xena, special friends Linda and Jim Manning, and many nieces and nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents: Tony and Tillie, Elvis, and her favorite brother Darrel (sorry to the rest, but he was), also her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Myles and Judith Bothum. And, some beloved pets, too, especially Pee Wee, her dog.

In December, Loretta was diagnosed with cancer. She fought the good fight for almost nine months, but she lost the battle and passed away on Tuesday, August 22, 2017, at home, surrounded by friends and family, at the age of 72 years, 8 months.

If you get the giggles today, don't try to hide it. Loretta almost always got the giggles at serious events, especially funerals. Laugh, have fun, dance, reminisce, and sing along to an Elvis tune or two. And, then go shopping, because that was another thing she loved to do.