Loretta Mary Johnson died on Monday, Sept. 29, 2008, at the age of 89 years, 4 months, at United Hospital in Blue Earth. Funeral services will be held Friday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Casimir Catholic Church in Wells. Visitation will be Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells. The Rev. Eugene Stenzel will officiate and burial will be in St. Casimir Catholic Cemetery in Wells.
Loretta Mary (Dylla) Johnson was born on May 29, 1919, in rural Wells. She was the third child of eight born to Louis A. and Gertrude (Mosser) Dylla. She was united in marriage to Ernest Paul Johnson on Dec. 15, 1939, in Mapleton. Loretta lived the past 58 years on their farm in rural Alden, where she was able to live up until her stroke in July of this year. Loretta worked off the farm at the Wells Canning Factory, Banquet Foods and her last employer was A Home of Your Own Inc., where she cleaned offices. Loretta was a terrific cook and prepared many Sunday dinners for her family. She was extremely proud of her Polish ancestry. She was a life member of St. Casimir Catholic Church in Wells.
Loretta is survived by two sons, Donald (Judy) Johnson of Wells, Kenneth (Stacey) Johnson of Rochester and one daughter, Mary Ellen (Richard) Stenzel of New Richland. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one sister, Delia Sempek of Palos Park, Ill.; one brother, Daniel (Jackie) Dylla of Lemont, Ill.; sisters-in-law: Mary Dylla of Schaumburg, Ill., Norma Dylla of Chicago, Ill.; Johnson brothers and sisters-in-law, Andrew I (Clarice) Johnson, LaVerne Johnson, Darlene Redman and Margaret Johnson and Willma Johnson, all of Wells; daughter-in-law: Janice Johnson of Alden; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Loretta was preceded in death by her husband, Ernest; two sons, Roy and Jerome; brothers, Ray and Roy; sisters, Dorothy, Evangeline and Leona; many brothers and sisters-in-law; and several nephews and nieces.