Miller, Loretta Jean

Loretta Jean Miller, 76, of Marion, formerly of Des Moines, died peacefully Monday, Oct. 14, 2013, at St. Luke's Hospital following a sudden illness. A visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, at Merle Hay Funeral Home, 4400 Merle Hay Rd., Des Moines. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Merle Hay Funeral Home.

She is survived by her daughters, Kelley Argenta (Geoffry Tollin) and Jan (Bruce) Copeland; grandsons, Brian Copeland and Steven Copeland; sister, Georgia; and many great friends especially, Harold and Darlene and “The Des Moines Gang.”

She was preceded in death by her husband and soul mate of 57 years, Delbert; and her parents.

Loretta was born Nov. 3, 1936, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Leo and Violet (King) Leonard. Loretta graduated from Des Moines East High School in 1955. Following high school, Loretta passed the American Medical Technology boards and became a certified Medical Technologist in 1957. She worked for two internal medicine clinics in Des Moines before moving to Iowa City in 1973. In 1974, she started work at the University of Iowa College of Medicine in research. In 1981, she passed the American Society of Clinical Pathologist boards and became a certified histology technician and worked for the University of Iowa Department of Dermatology as a supervisor of the Frozen Section Laboratory, until her retirement in 2001.

Loretta loved traveling with family and friends, reading, spending time with her grandsons and baking. All who knew Loretta will remember and miss her fabulous assortment of homemade Christmas cookies.

Our thanks to the nursing staff at St. Luke's Hospital, Dr. Bell and the Palliative care team and all of the staff on the Hospice Unit for their outstanding and compassionate care.

Memorials may be sent to the Ed and Joan Hemphill Hospice Unit at St. Luke's Hospital, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Published in The Gazette Oct. 15, 2013.