Loretta Joyce Yoder, the daughter of Jerry P. and Catherine (Gingerich) Yoder was born on October 11, 1933 in Rugby, North Dakota.  She died at the age of 81 years on Monday, January 05, 2015 at the Heart of America Care Center in Rugby, North Dakota.

Loretta was raised in the home of her parents and attended a rural school near Wolford, North Dakota.  As a young adult, Loretta remained at the home of her parents for a number of years before moving to Grand Forks.  She relocated to Rugby for several years, and returned to Grand Forks.  She was employed at several restaurants for a short period of time.  She also helped at the Senior Citizen Center in Grand Forks and was awarded several plaques for her volunteer services.  In July of 2012, she moved to the Heart of America Care Center in Rugby, where she resided until her death.

Over the years Loretta enjoyed latch hook crafts, jigsaw puzzles, and greatly treasured her doll collection.  She enjoyed family reunions and receiving letters and pictures from family members and compiled scrapbooks of the photos.  She had an excellent memory of birthdates and wedding anniversaries of her siblings, nieces, and nephews.  Some of her nieces have fond memories of their Aunt Loretta reading to them from Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories.

Loretta is survived by her three sisters, Bernice (Al) Erb of Wisner, NE, Bonnie Stoll of Montgomery, IN and Vera Yoder of Grand Forks; a brother, Dewey (Carol) Yoder of Hollister, MO; three sisters-in-law, Diane Yoder of Grand Forks, Mary Lou Stoll of Washington, IN and Rachel Yoder of Washington, IN and Sarasota, FL; many nieces, nephews; other relatives and friends.  She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, James, Earl, Ralph, Loren and Ray; sisters, Ethel Yoder, Ellen Huntzinger, Alice Yoder, Bessie Hochstetler and Evelyn Hochstetler.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 10 at the Anderson Funeral Home in Rugby with spring burial at the Lakeview Mennonite Cemetery, rural Wolford.  Cleo Yoder, officiating.

Visitation will be from 9:00 until 11:00 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home.