Loretta Buysse

Loretta was born to August and Mary (Van Hee) DeCock on January 22, 1922, at her parent’s home in Grandview Township. She attended Rural School at District 32 and St. Agnes Parochial School in Ghent and graduated from Minneota High School. On September 10, 1941, Loretta was united in marriage to Bernard Buysse at St. Eloi Catholic Church in Ghent. They lived in Westerheim Township for a couple of years, then moved to Swede Prairie Township in Yellow Medicine County for ten years where their children were all born. In 1953, the family moved to the farm homesteaded by her great-grandfather. Loretta was an active member of St. Eloi Parish and St. Ann’s Alter Society. She and Bernard enjoyed square dancing and later, ballroom dancing. She also enjoyed playing cards, especially bridge and five hundred. Loretta really enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In 1983, the couple moved to Minneota and started to enjoy golfing. They also wintered in the Mesa Arizona area for several years. In 2007, Loretta moved to Porter to be closer to her daughter for care with her Parkinson’s Disease. Loretta died on Monday, September 26, 2011, at the Sanford Canby Hospital in Canby. She is survived by her children Ardyce (and Laurence) Louwagie, Noreen (and Terence) Blanchette, Roy (and Ina) Buysse, daughter-in-law Pat Buysse, 14 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and special niece Mary (Dieken) Louwagie. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Bernard, son Earl, and sisters Beatrice Buysse and Harriet Dieken.