Mrs Loretta Yates' Obituary
San Bernardino, California — Loretta J. Yates, 81, passed away peacefully Sunday, August 16, 2015, at Providence Healthcare Center of Downers Grove, Illinois. She was born October 21, 1933 in Velva, North Dakota, to Oscar and Millie (Ellingson) Jensen. She graduated from Velva High School in 1951 and went on to attend Minot State Teachers College, receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education in June 1957. She was then hired to teach elementary school in San Bernardino, California, where she met her husband, Donald Ross Yates, Jr. They were married on July 26, 1958, in the city of Barstow, California and remained faithfully so until Donald passed away on November 13, 1992.
After her move to California, Loretta continued her teaching career in the San Bernardino Unified School District for many years, staying home to care for her two children, Denise and Donald, until they were of school age. Loretta also actively served on the advisory board of her Lutheran church in Highland throughout this time. She later pursued a Master’s Degree in Education in order to be a school principal, and she retired from classroom teaching in 1997. Following her retirement as a teacher, Loretta worked part time at Cal State San Bernardino supervising student teachers.
In her later years, Loretta remained very active in her church, Trinity Church of Redlands, serving the church library and also participating in women’s Bible studies, as well as a home group Bible study, and even serving on a mission team to Honduras. Other places Loretta visited were North Dakota, Texas and Illinois to visit with her family; she also took major trips to Scandinavia, Europe and Israel.
Survivors include; her daughter, Denise Yates, of Aberdeen, SD; her son, Donald Ross Yates, III and his wife, Kim, of Westmont, IL; her brother, Cleone Jensen, and his wife, Sharon, of Bismarck, ND; her three grandchildren: Amanda Yates, Seth Yates, and Austin Yates; one cousin, Calvin Seneschal; and several nieces and nephews.
A funeral service will be held at 1pm on Friday, September 4, at Bobbitt Memorial Chapel of San Bernardino, California, officiated by Rev. Paul Plaxton of Trinity Church. Graveside service will follow at Mountain View Cemetery at 2pm.
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