Bachelder, Loretta Ann (Blumhagen) 1935 - 2024

BACHELDER, BLUMHAGEN, SCHNITZLER, MEYER, LEEPER, JOHNSON, SCHMIDT, STRACKE, HOOPMAN, KOENIG, CONWAY

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 11/9/2024 at 10:47:02

Loretta Ann Bachelder, 89, passed away October 31, 2024, at Aase Haugen Nursing Home following a nearly 30-year journey with Parkinson’s Disease.

Funeral services will be Monday, November 11, 2024, at 11:00am at First Lutheran Church, 604 W. Broadway, Decorah, with burial in the Lutheran Cemetary.

Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at the church.

Loretta was born September 2, 1935, to George and Mabel (Meyer) Blumhagen in Bloomfield Township – Castalia, IA. Her father, George, died in early 1936, leaving Mabel to raise three children. Mabel attended cosmetology school and moved the family to Decorah. She married Carl Schnitzler when Loretta and Loren were in 5th grade. Loretta was a long-time member of First Lutheran Church and was confirmed there. She graduated from Decorah High School in 1953, where she was active on the yearbook staff and played clarinet in the band. Her senior year, she was selected Homecoming Queen and her twin brother Loren, co-captain of the football team, crowned her during the ceremony.

After graduation, Loretta went to work at Luther College as a secretary. She also met her best friend and future husband, George Bachelder. George proposed to Loretta on May 5, 1955 (5-5-55) and they married on July 8, 1956, at First Lutheran Church. To this union, two children were born: Daniel in December 1957 and Janene in February 1961.

After getting engaged she planned to quit her Luther job, but her boss disagreed, so he found a job for George in the business office. This was a good fit as he had worked at the Postville State Bank. During this time, George took classes at Luther, and after he graduated he was tasked with establishing the Financial Aid Program. Loretta was proud of George and the work that he did, and both wanted to help students find a way to afford a college education. After having her first child, Loretta was a stay at home mom until both children were in school. During this time she utilized her sewing skills doing alterations and sewing projects for clothing stores and individuals. She sewed her own wedding dress, as well as her attendant’s dresses. Sewing was just one of her many art skills - she also learned how to knit, crochet, tat, and embroider. She was always active in the community, including her church, as a member and officer in WELCA, and as a member of the Luther College Women’s Club. With the children in school, she returned to work at Luther, first in Public Relations, and later in the Development Office.

They both continued this work until 1983 when she became a 24/7 caregiver following George’s health decline, which left him confined to a wheelchair. They then built a new home which was handicap accessible so she could better care for him. During this chapter in Loretta’s life, she enjoyed entertaining and having George’s coffee group from Luther up to the house. She also honed her knitting skills, making Norwegian sweaters for her family. In 1986, George passed away at 54 during heart surgery.

Loretta, widowed at 50, again returned to work at Luther as a Union cashier. She had this job for 10 years and retired in 1997 after having increased challenges with Parkinson’s Disease. She was able to stay in her home until she quit driving and then felt too isolated, so in 2008, she sold her house and moved to Arlin Falck Assisted Living. Shortly after moving there, she lost her son, Daniel, to a sudden heart attack. In 2013, she became a resident at Eastern Star Nursing Home. In April 2021 she moved to Aase Haugen until her passing.

Loretta is survived by her daughter Janene Leeper (Jeff) and grandchildren Rachel Leeper, Hannah Leeper, and Ethan Leeper; daughter-in-law Susan Bachelder (Bob Johnson) and grandchildren Abby (Robin) Schmidt, Tyler (Jenny) Bachelder, and Katie (Jordan) Stracke; great-grandchildren Harlow and Daniel Schmidt, Madison and Jonathan Bachelder, and Benjamin and Keillor Stracke; sister-in-law Phillis Blumhagen; and numerous nieces and nephews as well as her Schnitzler stepfamily.

Loretta was preceded in death by parents George and Mabel; stepfather Carl Schnitzler; husband George O. Bachelder; son Daniel G. Bachelder; sister and husband Mardella and Ronald Hoopman; twin brother Loren Blumhagen; sisters-in-law and husbands Bernice and Earl Koenig, Irene and Orville Koenig; and nephews Mark Koenig and Patrick Conway.

In lieu of flowers, memorials will be donated to the Bachelder Family Endowed Scholarship at Luther College, which gives a yearly gift to one or two students in need.

Source: Helms Funeral Home database

Lutheran Decorah Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Jeff Getchell.
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