Loretta Julia Farrell

Loretta Julia Farrell was born on the farm in New Market, MN, July 13 1928, to parents John W. (Jack) and Frances E. (Sauser) Zweber. She was the sixth of seven children. Loretta was preceded in death by Robert A. (Bob) Farrell, the love of her life and husband of 45 years, her grandson Erik J. Werner, many loving friends and her siblings Lucille, Ethel, Lorraine, Marion, Don and Esther and their respective spouses. Loretta was part of a large, loving family. Her parents were a happy couple who worked very hard and were part of a community of mostly German and Swedish farmers. Her Dad called her "Mutz or Mutzi" which means sweet little thing in German. That nickname stuck and the people she grew up with called her that, including Bob. The first thing that greeted visitors to her home was a sign that read, "The Farrells, Mutz and Bob." Loretta grew up on the farm in a time when there was no indoor plumbing, heat, or electricity. She slept in the same bed with her siblings - warmed bricks keeping their feet warm(ish) and a chamber pot nearby - it was a cold trip to the outhouse in the middle of the night. Her parents stocked a wood stove and got their water from a pump outside. She recalled being transported in a sleigh in winter and walking to the one room schoolhouse. Their first phone (operator assisted) was an exciting addition to the home. News and entertainment were provided by the radio, community events, dances, and card games. Born just before the Great Depression, she learned to consume little and make things last. She carried this lesson through her life by recycling, sewing and knitting, washing and reusing plastic bags, and generally being very thrifty. She was fearful of electricity to the very end. If you wanted to use a toaster or a lamp at her house you had to plug it in. She never owned a microwave or dishwasher and was intolerant of all the gadgets and technology of her elder years. Preferring her radio and her land line phone calls to TV or cell phones. She was the first version of caller ID. Her intuitive strengths showed up in one way by guessing who was calling and having an incredibly high accuracy rate. Loretta lived through WWII. This also impacted her life in a lasting way. She saw many young men she knew leave for the war and not come home or come home irreparably changed. When she was 13, she met her future husband Bob who volunteered to help out on a farm when the war created a shortage of workers. Bob left the city and landed in New Market where he spotted Loretta and some of her siblings in the yard (chasing rats into a ditch) and decided he wanted to be close by. Bob (then 16) worked on the neighboring farm and they ended up graduating from the same one room school. Weekend recreation was dances in nearby towns. Bob and Loretta were a fetching couple. Loretta was a graceful beauty who loved to dance. We heard many stories of her unhappiness when Bob danced with other beauties or was flirted with. They were friends long before they married. After Loretta finished high school she moved to the city with her best friend Liz. Loretta worked for the highway department and visited the farm often. Although she grew up on the farm, it wasn't the life for her. She preferred the city and chose to live her life out in the Twin Cities. After Bob served in the army, he proposed to Loretta on St. Patrick's Day. The story goes she accepted but later that night when Bob danced with the wrong girl she gave the ring back. She could be feisty! It all worked out and they were married September 1, 1951. Their firstborn, Marie. was born while they lived in Mankato where Bob was completing college on the GI bill. They bought a home in Brooklyn Center, MN. When teaching earnings in North Minneapolis were not enough to make ends meet, Bob decided to take a job in Heidelberg, Germany on an army base. They rented the house out while they were gone. Their life there was probably the most comfortable of her lifetime. They had great housing, one child, a babysitter, a seamstress. They had many friends on the base. They bowled and danced and had a lot of social events in addition to their many travels. Nora was born there a few months before they returned to the USA. Once they settled in, along came John, Don, and Susan. Loretta worked hard as a Mom while Bob worked long hours. He switched from teaching to working as a cinematographer for Sports Films which involved frequent travel. Loretta had a beautiful vibrato whistle and singing voice. She regularly whistled while she worked and sang along to tunes on the radio when the news wasn't on. She had a radio in most rooms. She loved WCCO and baseball games. She baked homemade bread that filled the house with a delightful aroma. She was tickled by the kids panting while her homemade fudge cooled until we could dig in. She taught us all the skills we needed to be independent. An avid reader, we got bedtime stories, daily hugs and kisses. She showed by example to be inclusive, kind to those less fortunate. High on her list of musts were good grooming and dressing well, sitting up straight and having good manners. Leaving the house "without her face on" rarely happened. Her clip on earrings worn every day she called "her acupressure" stating she never got headaches. She took time while canning and processing all the produce from Dad's garden to show us how to help. She knitted and crocheted many afghans, baby sweaters and scarfs to give away. She made and mended a lot of our clothes. She taught us how to make the most of everything whether it was soap and water or powdered milk or reusing bags, rags, or hand-me-downs from relatives and friends, stretching every penny we make. She made herself some pretty mod outfits in the 60's and 70's. We didn't eat processed foods or go out to eat very often. We had family meals and went to bed with "sweet dreams, smick smack, i love you." When the Vietnam war came along Loretta protested bomb making at Honeywell and joined Women Against Military Madness. She went door to door getting signatures for the ERA, marched and held signs for peace on the Franklin Ave. bridge weekly for years and years followed by years of sign holding on University Ave. near Broadway. She wrote letters to any politician she wanted to influence on a local, state and federal level. She attended caucuses, rallies and made sure to vote in every primary and election including voting early in the primary held the day she died. Loretta enjoyed life's little things, phone calls, birds, stories, blue skies, clouds and flowers in the yard. She loved to stay busy. She was a loyal daughter, sister, wife and mother, grandmother. She loved deeply and well. She had sooo many friends, befriending those who often didn't have many others. After a scare on a flight to Germany where an engine started on fire she stayed close to home for travels, never flying again. She was quick to laugh and smile. Her blue eyes radiant until the end. She was a bit of a flirt and was charming and outgoing. While opinionated she also had the social graces to behave when she needed to. When Bob's career came to an unexpected end, Loretta got a job for Hennepin County in downtown Minneapolis. She explained that on the typing test she accidentally started on the wrong fingering but still got over 60 words per minute as a result. She carpooled ( of course) and walked through every lunch break. She didn't care much about eating, stating , "I only eat to stay alive." She didn't drink or smoke and stayed active. She could still bend over and touch her toes like nothing. Bob's death in 1996 was life changing. He was the love of her life and she lived 29 years alone after his death in the home they shared. She missed him every day. They never left the house without a quick kiss (even for a trip into the garden). A bout with skin cancer on her arm slowed her down a decade or so ago, followed by the closure of Target where she would drive to pick things up and visit with locals. After giving up her car her world became smaller. As more and more peers she loved passed on she suffered loss and some loneliness. Yet, most days on the phone or in person her voice was youthful and light. She was a vibrant, loving, opinionated, gorgeous woman. We were blessed to have her with us all these years. She is survived by daughter Marie (Peter) Werner, grandson son Leif, great-grandchildren, Isaak and Elijah. Daughter Nora (Naim) Gudul, grandchildren Elsa Rusch, Luke Rusch, great-grandchildren, Ihsan, Yusuf, Amatullah, Nura, Thana'a, Bayaan, Abur Rahman, Muhammad, Liyanna, Talha. Grandchildren Erol Gudul, Erin (Bill) Gudul, great-grandchildren Leyla, Emre, Kaan. Granddaughters Hannah Rusch (Didier), Grace Rusch (Jared). Son John Farrell (Kate Boor), grandchildren Gus and Eve. Son Don, grandchildren Will, Wren, and Wyatt. Daughter Susan Farrell (Brennan McNally), grandchildren Dan Balestri, Jean Balestri, Max McNally, Felix McNally, Leo McNally, and Elliott McNally. https://womenagainstmilitarymadness.org

Loretta Julia Farrell

July 13, 1928 - August 11, 2026

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