Loretta de la Brosse

Loretta R. de la Brosse, age 83, of Carroll, Iowa, died early Wednesday, June 4, 2008, at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 A.M., Saturday, June 7, 2008, at Holy Spirit Church in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Father James McCormick. The casket will be taken to the church at 8:30 A.M. Saturday to lie in state until the time of the funeral mass. Lector will be Denise McMains. Gift Bearers will be Carol Irlmeier and Frances Wieland. Eucharistic Ministers will be Mickey and Duane Frantum. Casket Bearers will be Ron Riesenberg, Russ Riesenberg, Mike Peter, Steven Irlmeier, Derek Gruber, and Paul Shada. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll. Friends may call at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll after 3:30 P.M. Friday. A rosary will be prayed at 4 P.M. Friday. There will be a Christian wake service at 6 P.M. Friday by Holy Spirit Parish. In lieu of flowers memorials may be left at the funeral home or church for the Kuemper Catholic Schools Foundation. Mrs. de la Brosse was born on August 11, 1924, at Coon Rapids, Iowa, the daughter of Peter and Caroline (Dishong) Gruber, Sr. She grew up in the Coon Rapids community and attended Annuciation Catholic School and graduated from Coon Rapids High School. At age 18 she began teaching in rural schools near Coon Rapids and then taught at the Coon Rapids Elementary School. In 1959 she moved to Clive and taught in the Clive School District. In 1964 she moved to Los Angeles, California, and taught in the East Los Angeles and El Sereno School Districts. She retired in June 1988 following 46 years of elementary school teaching. She married Marcel de la Brosse on June 21, 1965, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The couple returned to the Carroll area later in 1988 to make their home. Following their return to the area Mrs. de la Brosse operated Caroline’s Café in Dedham for many years. She was a member of Holy Spirit Parish and Parish Ladies Guild. She enjoyed playing bingo, cooking, traveling, and visiting with her friends. Survivors include a step daughter, Doris Ludwig of Monrovia, California; a step son, Walter de la Brosse of Los Angeles, California; two grandchildren; 4 great grandchildren; and two sisters-in-law, Lorraine Gruber of Marshfield, Wisc. and Joyce Gruber of Scranton. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Marcel de la Brosse, in July 2001; nine brothers, Joseph, Francis, Peter, George, Arnold, Albert, Herman, Henry, and Wilfred Gruber; and four sisters, Katherine Lengel, Crescentia Gruber, Anna Peter, and Caroline Gruber.

Loretta de la Brosse

August 11, 1924 - June 4, 2008