Loretta Ann DeForest, 88, died on April 16, 2024, at Blue Valley Health and Rehabilitation at Blue Rapids, Kansas. She was born January 04, 1936, in Emporia, KS, the daughter of William Ancil Beavers and Leoti Grace Beavers.
Loretta graduated from Burlington, Kansas High School in 1954. After high school, she moved to Denver, Colorado, to attend a modeling school. She married Edward DeForest on December 22, 1956. The two eventually divorced, and he preceded her death in 2018. After living in Cleveland, Ohio, for a few years with her young family, they moved to Marysville, KS, where Loretta raised her family.
While residing in Marysville, Loretta was a homemaker raising three children and worked at familiar local establishments: AR-EX Drug Store, Garden of Eden, and Marysville Mutual. Loretta belonged to the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority and was proud to be a founding member of the Marysville Area Community Theatre (M-ACT).
As a toddler and throughout her life, Loretta had a great passion for cats. Cat names that bring back family memories are Sylvester, Buster, and, most recently, Chole and Belle. Music, especially singing, brought Loretta joy. She played piano and sang regularly with her father at weddings, funerals, and other special events throughout grade and high school. Later in life she joined many church choirs. Each year, Loretta planted flowers around her home. She enjoyed spring flowers, including fragrant purple lilacs, butter-yellow daffodils, and tulips. Like her mother, Loretta loved collecting dolls and gifting them to family and friends.
No one loved the holidays more than Loretta. Most years, she created her children’s Halloween costumes. Her youngest son's outfits included a clown, pirate, great pumpkin, and Cub Scout gold banquet award-winning mummy. Her legendary scary Halloween parties ‘up on the hill’ will be long remembered.
Under Loretta’s care and direction, traditional holidays were observed in a big way at the DeForest household. Easter, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas celebrations involved fancy decorations and scrumptious food. A quarter from the tooth fairy could always be located under our pillows.
After her children had grown, she moved to Manhattan, where she worked at St. Mary’s Hospital and Wal-Mart until she retired. She became a big Kansas State fan and proudly wore her purple.
Loretta is loved and survived by her daughter Linda Swim and husband Jim of Marysville, KS; son Mike DeForest and wife Jennifer, of Hiawatha, KS; son David DeForest and wife Kristi of Fulton, MO. Seven grandchildren: Zia Swim, Hannah Reid, Gabe DeForest, Nate DeForest, Bridget Aldrich, Lindsey Foster, and Ashley Pyle. Eight great-grandchildren: Max Swim, Awen Swim, Ivy Aldrich, Molly Aldrich, Jayden Foster, Kennedy Foster, Ruby Foster, and Arlo Pyle.
Family was paramount to Loretta’s life. It meant everything to her. She simply loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren with all her heart.
A Celebration of Life is planned for June 14 at 10 a.m. at Evangelical United Church of Christ, Marysville, KS. Private interment will be held later that day at Deer Creek Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to the Purple Power Animal Welfare Society in Manhattan, KS or to a charity of the givers choice.
