Loretta was born on December 7, 1925, in Castlewood, SD to John and Nessa (Ross) Gerhold. She was the second of five children in a town of just a few hundred. She graduated nursing school at Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis in 1947, and enjoyed a fifty year career in nursing. She and husband Bob married in 1964, and raised three sons: Stephen, Curtis and Bob (Jr.).
Loretta was a loving and devoted wife and mother, and a compassionate nurse. Thanks to her willingness to work day, night, and even graveyard shifts, she was able to work full-time and, in her few waking hours, also be a very involved at-home mom. She endured the loss of her oldest son, Stephen, in 1972, and won her battle with breast cancer in 1980. She truly embodied the heart of a nurse; for her, it was more than a profession; it was who she was, up until the time she passed. Even in her 90s, she cared for the people around her, helping them with their daily lives. She was a proud grandmother to her four grandchildren, and a caring neighbor to all who knew her on her street.
Loretta lived in Banning the last seventeen years and was a member of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church in Beaumont. She was preceeded in death by parents John and Nessa, sister Lola, brother John, son Stephen, and husband Bob. She leaves behind her sister, Verna of Frankfort, KY; brother Ross (Bonnie) of Watertown, SD; sons Curtis (Joyce) of Corona, CA and Bob (Hash) of Fullerton, CA; four grandchildren, and many loving in-laws, nieces, nephews and a host of long-time friends and neighbors.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church,
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18