Loretta M. Bedel's Obituary
Loretta M. Bedel, age 91 of Morris, died Wednesday, February 4, 2015 at her residence. Born September 4, 1923 in Ripley County Indiana, she is the daughter of Emma (Nee: Timmerman) and Edward Merkel. She married Sylvester Bedel August 4, 1951 at St. Anthony's Church in Morris and he preceded her in death on January 25, 2000. A homemaker, she also was a member of St. Anthony's Church, St. Anthony's Ladies Sodality, the Morris Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary and a former 4-H Leader.
Loretta's faith was important to her. Very devout, her family cannot remember a time she missed church. She devoted countless hours to helping with church functions, the Ladies Sodality and supporting Right to Life. According to her family she was an excellent cook and baker with her coffee cakes and pumpkin pies among their favorites. She enjoyed sharing her pie baking skills with her daughters and grandchildren. Also a very good seamstress and quilter, Loretta would teach the girls to sew as well. She liked playing cards, often games of Rummy with the grandchildren and loved gardening. The house was filled with plants and flowers she nurtured and for years tended to a large garden to help feed her family.
She is survived by daughters Margarita Case of Morris, Betty Frey and Mary Jean Wessel, both of Batesville; son Richard Bedel of West Harrison, Indiana; 21 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband and parents, she is also preceded in death by her son Joseph Bedel; grandson Rob Wessel; sister Edna Retzner; brothers Paul, Fred, Herman, Urban, Martin and Edward Merkel and Anthony Etter.
Visitation will be held Friday, February 6th, from 4 - 7 p.m. with a rosary service at 3:45 p.m. at the funeral home. Funeral services are 10 a.m. Saturday, February 7th, at St. Anthony's Church followed by burial in the church cemetery. The family requests memorials be made to St. Anthony's Haiti Ministry or to Right to Life.
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