Thelma Loreen Ratzloff, known as
Loreen, passed away on November 27, 2022 at Paramount Community
Living and Rehab Center in Newton, Kansas.
Loreen was born on February 3, 1931 in
Canton, Kansas. Her parents were Pete H. Ratzloff and Adina (Smith)
Ratzloff. She had two brothers, Perry and Chet Ratzloff; and two
sisters, Viola and Nadine Ratzloff.
Soon after being born, Loreen?s
family moved to Texas. In 1935, they moved to a farm near Galva,
Kansas. In 1937, they moved to a farm near Roxbury, Kansas; and in
1938 they moved back to Canton. In 1939 at age 8 her family moved to
a farm South of Cedar Point, Kansas. This is where most of her
childhood memories occurred. In 1946, her family moved to Burns,
Kansas where Loreen attended high school.
Soon after graduating from high school,
Loreen married Clifford Jule Roberts. They had two sons Gary Roberts
(with wife Diana) of Benton, Arkansas, and Galen Roberts of
Springfield, Missouri; and two daughters ? Charney Price (with
husband David) of Newton, Kansas, and Wanda Lambert (with husband
Wendel) of Dardenne Prairie, Missouri.
Later in her life Loreen was married to
Harold Smith, and Keith Schirer. In addition to her four children,
Loreen has 12 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren.
Her parents and siblings are all
deceased.
Loreen worked a variety of jobs
throughout her life. She enjoyed working at Angle?s Grocery Store
and Miller?s Egg Produce in Burns. She worked at Phillips
Industries in Newton, Kansas. In the mid-1970s, Loreen worked at the
Peabody Memorial Nursing Home as a nurse aide. Needing more income to
support her family, she took a welding class and got a job at Hesston
Corporation. Loreen later attended Wichita Practical Nursing School
where she graduated in January 1984 at age 53 as a Licensed Practical
Nurse. She took a job at the Peabody Memorial Nursing Home as a LPN,
and later moved to Halstead, Kansas where she accepted a position at
Regency Medical Center. In addition to raising a family and working
many difficult jobs, Loreen enjoyed playing on the Burns fast pitch
softball team, painting, writing poetry, reading about history, and
collecting antiques. She even wrote her own autobiography. Loreen
grew up during the Great Depression, Dust Bowl, and World War II.
While she lived a difficult life, she was resilient. She persevered
and endured. Loreen?s legacy of determination, grit, and
independence will last for generations to come. A celebration of
Loreen Ratzloff?s life will take place on Friday, December 2 at
11:00 a.m. It will be held at Petersen?s Family Funeral Home Chapel
located at 215 north Main in Newton, Kansas. There will be a
visitation one hour before the celebration service from 10:00 a.m. to
11:00 a.m. In place of flowers, memorials may be made out to the
Peabody Legion and New Hope Shelter.
