Loretta Miller (Kempkes) was born in Sterling Ne., on 1/4/1922 to Anton and Magdalen Kempkes. She entered eternity on May 18, 2017. She will be missed.
Loretta grew up on a farm two miles from Sterling with her sisters, Bernadine, Leona, and Agnes along with her brothers Alfred and Norman. Growing up in the late 20’s and early 30’s was not easy, but Loretta said ‘We never knew that we were poor because everyone was in the same boat and we always had enough to eat’.
After attending school in St. Mary, Loretta worked and saved her money by cleaning houses and working for the local doctor in Sterling. Loretta was a hard working and determined person. When she set her mind on a goal it was foolish to bet against her. That goal was to attend beauty school and she soon attained her goal and received her license. She worked as a beautician for a time in Lincoln until a young man named Earl entered her life.
They met at the Play-Mor and were married in January of 1947. Earl farmed and Loretta became a ‘farm-wife’. Then entered their 3 children, Linda, Kenny, and baby Elaine. Hard economic times persuaded Loretta to open her own beauty shop out of her rural home.
In 1963 she moved to Elmwood and started ‘Loretta’s Beauty Shop’ where she worked for many years and had many faithful customers. (By just listening quietly to her customers, she was always well informed of the latest ‘news’ in town!) Loretta never complained about the hours and hours of being on her feet making the ladies of the town beautiful. She and Earl had many friends and enjoyed playing cards, going out to eat fish in Avoca and occasionally taking a trip to the casinos.
Upon retirement, Loretta had more time to enjoy her family and her husband Earl. She never forgot her early training in cleaning houses and kept a spotless house.
Upon the death of her husband Earl in Sept. of 2011, she moved to Harmony Court in Bellevue, Ne and lived the final chapter of her life. As usual, she made friends easily and was soon a regular playing Skipbow and Bingo. She rebounded from several falls and broken bones and earned the nickname ‘Energizer Bunny’ because she just kept going and going. Her last bout with heart and lung problems proved too much for even Loretta, so she accepted her fate and told her children it was ‘time’.
She is survived by children: Linda (Merv) Faulk of Papillion, Ken (Pam) Miller of Elmwood, and Elaine (Dan) Bruns of Lincoln, sister: Agnes Ullsperger of Beatrice, 11 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren.
Loretta will be buried along side Earl in the NW corner of the Elmwood Cemetery. Her children thank you for taking time to come today and hope that you will join them in celebrating the life of a devoted wife, a wonderful mother/grand-mother and a special friend to many.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Loretta M. Miller (Kempkes), please visit our
Heartfelt Sympathies Store.
