(Nee Gray) Of Milwaukee. Born to eternal life on July 25, 2021 at the age 98 years. Beloved wife of the late Alvin. Loving mother of Kathleen, Richard (Luann), Kristin Sanders-Gendreau (Dan Gendreau) and the late William and Stephen. Dear grandma of Melissa Johnson (fiancé Kenny), James, Emily Gendreau (fiancé Jay) and Danny Gendreau. Great grandma of Aliyanah, Conner, Samuel and Hailey. Mother-in-law of Sharon. Further survived by other relatives and friends. Preceded in death by her cherished brother Tony Gray and her half siblings Ruth (Virgil) Staller, Andrew and Louis.
Loretta was born on a beautiful farm in central Indiana to two loving parents. They raised chickens, huge vegetable and flower gardens, fruit trees and endless other delicacies we would hear about often. Her mom made angel food cake by hand, no mixer, and baked in a wood fired stove for their birthdays! She rode the bus to a one room school house where a particularly amazing teacher, Clancy Murphy, stimulated a love of learning and a curious spirit. It was there she won a County spelling bee- a source of great pride. She continued to love to spell all her life even to the end. She attended Saint Elizabeth School of Nursing and became an RN which allowed her to follow an opportunity to join the US Cadet Nurse Corp during World War II and be stationed in Chicago at the VA caring for soldiers coming home from the war. It was rewarding work and she even kept touch with the mothers of some of those men even after they had died. She loved Chicago and took advantage of being so close to great clothes and shoes. She love to be a “snappy dresser“.
Through a mutual friend she met and married her love, Al Sanders, and they moved to Milwaukee to continue their adventures and raise five children. After the birth of her last child, Loretta went back to nursing and worked at Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Hospital until she retired after 25 years.
She had a love and eye for all the simple pleasures of life:
Listening to birds.
Eating and preparing wonderful food especially for family dinners and celebrations - or even for her own breakfast ritual - a “dippy egg,” Nueske’s bacon plus other yummy foods.
Loving nature through camping and gardening.
Reading her Catholic prayers and other special books until they fell apart.
Traveling to new places, especially with Al and their friends from church.
Staying connected to loved ones - writing personal handwritten notes every Christmas and birthday in her beautiful Palmer script.
Freshening sheets on the backyard clothesline.
Summer days spent with her brother and his family in Galesburg, IL or some other hot spot.
She was beautifully cared for by her son and his wife ,Luann, in their home until just days before her death which came peacefully with Rick and Luann holding her hands and listening to music.
Visitation on Friday, July 30, 2021 at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church, 734 Glenview Avenue, Wauwatosa from 10 AM until the time of Mass of Christian Burial at 12 Noon. Entombment to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Jude the Apostle appreciated. The family would like to thank Laurel Walters, the staff at Froedtert Hospital and Ruth Hospice for the special care given to Loretta.
