Loretta M. Wegener

1930 - 2025

Loretta M. Wegener

May 14, 1930 - August 29, 2025

Loretta M. Wegener, 95, of Humphrey, Nebraska, died Friday, August 29, 2025, at Faith Regional Hospital in Norfolk, Nebraska.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., at Saint Francis Catholic Church in Humphrey, with a rosary beginning at 8 a.m., followed by visitation until the mass time, all at the church, with Father Dan Wittrock celebrating the mass. Interment will be held in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Cornlea, Nebraska. Memorials may be made to the Humphrey Rescue Unit, Saint Francis Catholic Church or School, or the donor's choice.

Loretta was born on May 14, 1930, to Milo and Marie (Vstecka) Herink in their rural home in the Bissel community located northwest of Schuyler, Nebraska in Colfax County. She received her First Communion and Confirmation at Wilson Church. Loretta grew up in the Colfax and Platte County area, and when she was 16 years old, graduated in 1946 from Saint Francis Catholic High School in Humphrey. She then went on to attend business school in Omaha, Nebraska.

One Saturday night in 1949, Loretta and her girlfriends attended a dance in Humphrey, where a cute stranger kept winking at her. Finally, Mylen Wegener asked her to dance, and they happily danced together for 67 years. The couple was married on April 18, 1950, at Saint Francis Catholic Church in Humphrey, and during their marriage, the couple was blessed with seven children. Mylen and Loretta made their home in Cornlea and lived on the same farm until 2016, when they then moved into assisted living at Prairie Village in Columbus, Nebraska.

Loretta enjoyed life on the Cornlea farm and worked hard milking cows, butchering chickens in the spring and canning anything she grew in her garden or on the fruit trees. She was an excellent cook and often fed the farmhands who put up hay or helped with harvest, always setting an extra plate at the table for the those that Mylen invited to dinner. Saturday mornings found Loretta baking kolaches or fresh baked bread, and she was generous in sharing her baked goods with neighbors or anyone in need. Her family will fondly remember Loretta's chocolate rolls, cinnamon rolls, kolaches and her famous date bars (which are still a favorite of many). She was also skilled at embroidery and made pillowcases and tea towels for the Saint Francis annual bazaar. Loretta's grandchildren quickly learned that her living room candy dish would always be full of treats, not to mention her Franciscan monk cookie jar filled to the brim with fresh baked cookies.

Loretta was proud of her service on the Saint Francis School Board and Parish Council, was a founding member of the Saint Francis annual bazaar, and was a member of Christian Mothers and notably a lifetime member of Catholic Daughters for 66 years. She also served on the Platte County Feeders Auxiliary, was president of the Nebraska State Auctioneers Auxiliary and was a leader of the local 4-H chapter.

When Mylen started his auction business, Loretta became his official bookkeeper and held this role for 59 years. (This was particularly challenging because without computers at the time, all record books were manually kept and handwritten). She accompanied Mylen and clerked for thousands of auctions and sales and attended auctioneers' conventions, all across the country. Life was not all work and no play, however, and Mylen and Loretta enjoyed traveling with their friends to Las Vegas during the year. They were also enthusiastic world travelers and visited Brazil, England, France, Hawaii, Jamaica, Mexico and Sweden.

Loretta was an extraordinary and beloved mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother and a special aunt to her nieces and nephews. Always, she was impeccably dressed and never seen with one hair out of place or without her lipstick, high heels and jewelry.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Mylen Wegener; father, Milo Herink; mother, Marie (Herink) Glish; stepfather, Andrew Glish; sisters, Marcella (Mary) (Bernard) Dohmen, and Norma (Everett) Hemmer; brother, Arlen Herink; great-grandson, Forest Davis; brother-in-law, Michael Balister; father and mother-in law, Dora and Ben Wegener; brothers-in-law, Lee (Berniece) Wegener, Earl (Helen) Wegener and Emmet (Rita) Wegener; and sisters-in-law, Bertha (Leo) Wiese and Colette (Alvin) Beierman.

Loretta is survived by her seven children, Lois (Jim) Leatherman of Stuart, Florida, Mary Kay (Hank) Krings of Elkhorn, Nebraska, Jim (Michele) Wegener of Cornlea, Teresa (Gene) Dinkel of Palmer, Alaska, Michael (Lori) Wegener of Humphrey, Cindy (Curtis) Gilsdorf of Salina, Kansas, and Greg Wegener of Cornlea. She is also survived by her brother, Milo "Sonny" (Rita) Herink of Humphrey, sister, Lorraine Balister of Germantown, Wisconsin, brother, Allen (Jane) Herink of Pewaukee, Wisconsin; brother- and sister-in-law, Gene and Gladys Pfeifer of Humphrey; 22 grandchildren; 40 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family also wishes to thank all of Loretta's caregivers at Prairie Village, Emerald Care, Arbor Care and Faith Regional Hospital for providing her with compassionate and quality care.

Condolences may be sent to www.gasshaney.com.