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Loretta Downes, 100

Lead Summary

Loretta Downes, 100, of Davenport, Iowa and formerly of Fredericksburg, Iowa passed away Good Friday, April 19, 2019, at Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House in Bettendorf, Iowa.
Funeral services will be Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at 11:00 am at St Paul Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg. Visitation will be an hour before services at the church. Burial will be in New Hampton City Cemetery.  Hugeback Johnson Funeral Home in Fredericksburg are entrusted with arrangements.  Online condolences for Loretta's family may be left at hugebackfuneralhome.com
Loretta Dorothy Weitenhagen, daughter of Frank and Marie (Kammeyer) Weitenhagen was born July 24, 1918, at Fredericksburg, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed by Otto C. Durr at St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg, of which she was a lifetime member. After graduation from Fredericksburg High School in 1935, she attended Iowa State Teacher’s College (now UNI) in Cedar Falls. Upon graduation she taught in the Chickasaw Rural School at Boyd. 
On July 24, 1938, Loretta married Leonard Downes at St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg. They farmed near Fredericksburg. In 1960 the couple started traveling to McAllen, Texas for the winters, where she worked for Sears for 12 years. Leonard passed away July 14, 1979. In 1980, Loretta  made her home in Fredericksburg, continuing to go to McAllen for the winters. In 2010, she moved to Davenport to be closer to her daughters.
Survivors include one son, Robert and wife, Karen, of Sun City West, Arizona, two daughters, Lorely (Lori) and husband, Ron Van Sant of Davenport, Iowa and Debra and husband, Jerry Van Sant of Le Claire, Iowa; six grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, one great-great grandchild and two nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her brother, Harold Weitenhagen, a granddaughter, Stephanie Downes, and a son-in-law, Monty Roberts.
Memorials may be made to St Paul Lutheran Church. 

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