A Family Funeral Service will be Monday, November 30th, at 1:30 pm at the Evangelical Free Church in Broken Bow with Pastor Tim Peterson officiating. Burial will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Callaway, NE. Visitation will be Sunday, November 29th from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow, NE. Govier Brothers Mortuary are in charge of arrangements. An online guest book may be signed for words of encouragement or remembrance at www.govierbrothes.com. Govier Brothers Mortuary will comply with the CDC and State of Nebraska.
Loretta Irene (Lange) Hays was born to Hester (Richardson) and James Lange on May 6, 1918.
The family farmed south of Callaway until the death of Loretta’s father, James, when she was 2 years old. Hester and her children moved into Callaway.
Loretta graduated from Callaway High School in 1936. She worked in the telephone office after she graduated.
Loretta married Claude Hays on June 22, 1939. They lived in the Callaway area and Claude worked for the county road department. After the death of her brother, Julius, Claude, and Loretta moved to the family farm. They raised cattle and farmed the next 50+ years.
Claude and Loretta have two children, Dean and Judy. They have seven grandsons and one granddaughter and twelve great grandchildren.
Loretta was a homemaker all of her life. She loved her family and so enjoyed it when the grandchildren could come and visit. Hospitality was her gift. She loved having company and was a great cook, Loretta created beautiful embroidery work and made quilts. Loretta was a hardworking wife of a farmer – growing a big garden, milking cows, and doing whatever else needed to be done.
In 1972, Claude and Loretta semi-retired and moved to Cozad. Claude worked for the City of Cozad and Loretta continued to be a homemaker. She was an active member of the Parkview Methodist Church. She was a member of Rebekah’s. Loretta volunteered at Cozad Community Action for 25 years helping with the food pantry. They enjoyed doing a lot of camping, fishing, and traveling.
Claude passed away in 1995. Loretta remained in her home until she was 98. In 2017, she moved to Broken Bow to be near family. She passed away at Brookestone View in Broken Bow on November 23rd at the age of 102.
Loretta is survived by her son Dean (Janet) Hays of Elkhorn and daughter Judy (John) Peck of Broken Bow. Eight grandchildren: Doug (Laurie) Hays, Mike (Robyn) Hays, Greg Hays, all of Elkhorn and Brad (Molly) Hays of McCook, Joel (Heather) Peck of Omaha, Mark (Karol) Peck of Ravenna and Amber (James) Kohler of Atlanta, GA and twelve great grandchildren: Dalton, Andria, Jacob, James, Terra, Hannah and Hunter Hays, Ethan, Aiden and Arabella Peck and Lukas and Leonidas Kohler.
Loretta was preceded in death by her parents, James and Hester Lange, her husband, Claude, and grandson, Shane. Sisters, Gertie (John) Whaley and Vera (Dale) Strong, and brother, Julius (Mary) Lange.
