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Loretta Ray, of Creston, was lovingly welcomed by her Savior to her heavenly home, Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021, leaving this life at the Creston Nursing and Rehab Care Center in Creston.
A Celebration of Life memorial service will be 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, at Powers Funeral Home in Creston. The service will also be livestreamed at powersfh.com (link under events). Visitation with family present will be 10:30 a.m. before the service. Rev. Jim Morris will officiate.
Interment will be in Graceland Cemetery south of Creston. Memorials are to the Jerusalem United Methodist Church of Creston, or Creston Animal Rescue Effort. Online condolences can be made at www.powerfh.com.
Loretta Mabel (Agan) Ray was born at home in Knoxville Township, Marion County, on July 15, 1931, to Mary Florence (Kelly) Agan and James Wesley Agan. She was the second oldest of five children. Loretta grew up in rural Knoxville, graduated from Dallas High School in 1949 and attended Simpson College in Indianola, where she received her teaching certification. She taught first grade at Laurel from 1950 to 1951.
On June 17, 1951, she married the love of her life, William Gordon Ray in Dallas, Iowa. They shared 65 wonderful devoted years together. After marriage, they lived west of Kent. A daughter, Martha, was born in 1952 and a son, William, Jr. was born in 1954. The family moved to Ames in 1955. A daughter, Margaret, was born in 1955. In 1957, the family moved to a new home in Nevada, Iowa. In 1962, a son, Wesley was born.
Bill accepted a position in 1965 as farm manager with a bank in Kankakee, Illinois, where he worked until 1970. While living there, Loretta loved working as a special education teacher’s aide in Limestone.
In 1970, they returned to the Ray family farm for about a year before moving into Creston where they lived the remainder of their lives.
As a fun side-business, Loretta and Bill owned and operated the Dairy Sweet in Creston from 1971 to 1974 before moving the building to Afton as the newly named Stars and Stripes ice cream and sandwich shop from 1974 to 1981.
Loretta had a strong Christian faith and was active in the United Methodist Churches in Ames, Nevada, Kankakee and Creston. During those years she served as Sunday school teacher, worked with youth, was a member of UMW and served on many committees. Loretta had a deep love for her church family at Jerusalem United Methodist Church.
While in Nevada, she was an officer in PTA, a Brownie leader for Girl Scouts, a substitute teacher and involved in the Story County Association that advocated for the mentally disabled. She continued her passion in Kankakee and in Creston, working for Southwest Iowa Sheltered Workshop which became Innovative Industries. She served as their client evaluator for nearly 30 years. Loretta was also honored to be a member of DUV along with her mother and sister.
Loretta enjoyed gardening, flowers, house plants, crafts, reading, creating counted cross stitch baby quilts and gifts, music, holidays, camping and traveling. She was a beautiful seamstress and loved cooking and baking.
Loretta’s special collections were cardinals and angels. Her greatest joy was family time with her husband Bill, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She showed her family how to have fun, to love, to be honest, to respect and truly care for others. Her heart was full of love.
The family wishes to express their gratitude to the loving care and friendship that Care Initiative and Hospice has given to Loretta, especially in the four years and eight months following Bill’s death.
Survivors include daughter, Martha Roseletta (Bill) Monroe of Jefferson; son, Wesley James Ray of Ft. Dodge; five grandchildren: Amanda (Mike) Hendrickson of Rochester, Minnesota, Andrea (Andy) Baker of Nicaragua, Dr. Jared A. (Heather) Adams, M.D. of Oklahoma, Nathan (Vickie) of Dallas, Texas and William G. ‘Liam’ Ray III of Ft. Dodge; nine great-grandchildren: including Katherine and Emily Hendrickson, Annalysa and Daniel Baker; two sisters, Mary Schrader of Melcher-Dallas and Janet (David) Ritchie of Knoxville; and many nieces and nephews.
Loretta was preceded in death by her husband, William Ray in 2017; her son, William Gordon Ray Jr. in 1972; daughter, Margaret Mary (Ray) Adams in 2012; her parents; a brother, Kelly Agan; a sister, Louise Fowler; her parents in-law; in-laws, Lillian (Richard) Beatty and W.D. ‘Doug’ (Shirley) Ray.