M. Loretta Thieme

M. Loretta Thieme passed away on December 18, 2019. Her life began in a small farming town in Indiana. She went to elementary school in a one room school house built in 1888 in Farmer’s Retreat, now listed in the National Register of Historical Places.

After completing high school, Loretta obtained a nursing diploma at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. During her nursing career, she had the opportunity to care for polio patients in Iron Lungs.

Loretta married Melvin Thieme on April 9, 1949. They were married 60 years when he passed away. Loretta put Mel through school at Purdue where he obtained his PhD in Nuclear Physics. They moved to Los Alamos, NM in 1955, when their first daughter was 1 year old. Loretta took time away from nursing when her 3 children were small. She returned to nursing at the Los Alamos Medical Center when her children were older.

After her husband retired, they moved to Albuquerque, NM for a few years. They moved to Colorado to help care for their grandson before and after school. When their grandson no longer needed someone to watch over him, they were asked if they wanted to move back to Albuquerque. Loretta’s answer was “Our grandson is here.”

In her spare time, enjoyed reading and watching sports, particularly football. Her favorite teams were the Purdue Boilermakers and the Denver Broncos.

Loretta was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin, and her siblings, Irvin (Hoppy) Luke, Elma Schmale, and Marida Kuhlman. Loretta is survived by her children, Ellen Briscoe and husband, David, Rita Thieme, and Randall Thieme, her grandson, Cameron Thieme and her brother, Howard Luke.

A memorial service will be held at Bethany Lutheran Church at 1:00 pm December 27, 2019. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bethany Lutheran Church or the Dumb Friends League.

Memorial Service: December 28, 2019 1:00 pm

Bethany Lutheran Church
4500 E. Hampden Ave.
Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113
303-758-2820