Loretta M Charles

Loretta Marie Loutzenhiser Charles passed peacefully into the arms of her loving Savior May 22, 2026. Her past few months were spent being cared for and visited by family to honor her wish to remain close to the farm where she had diligently and contentedly focused on family, faith and hard work for over 90 years.

Loretta was born the second child of Lester Dae and Mary Grace Loutzenhiser in Flagler on September 18, 1935. Along with her brother Willard, Loretta and her five sisters lived and worked hard on their farm in the tight knit Shiloh Community north of Flagler. Loretta often told of how her father would raise 500 chickens every year that required her to butcher at least a chicken or two each day to provide for the large family. During leaner times, she would hunt for jackrabbit or pheasant to put food on the table. She attended Shiloh Church and was baptized in 1947. Loretta and her brother rode their saddle horse Goldie to Shiloh School in her younger years, and later rode the bus to town to attend Flagler High School graduating in 1953. Her class had to finish their high school going to class at the Legion for a year and graduate at the Grand Theatre after a fire in the school in 1951. Loretta worked in the Flagler Hospital after graduation. She soon met the love of her life, Duane Charles. The two were married in the Flagler Baptist Church on January 1, 1954, on Duane’s 24th birthday. They shared 56 loving years before he passed in 2010.

The Lord blessed this union with three children: Debbie, Roberta and Allen. She lived with her family north of Flagler just a few miles west of where Loretta was raised and continued the tradition of hard work, close family, and faith. Loretta and Duane operated a farm, ranch and dairy. They took great pride in the dairy and the herd which she called by name each morning and evening for decades as she tirelessly helped complete the daily chores while also managing her household and helping Duane with his multiple health challenges over the years. They were recognized by the Mountain Empire Dairyman’s Association with an award for fifteen straight years of excellent quality milk production.

Kids and grandkids were the joy of Loretta’s life as she dedicated herself to caring for them with her wonderful cooking and baking special birthday cakes and cookies, growing gardens and fruit trees in the barn, overseeing tea parties and mud pie productions, and raising animals including her beautiful peacocks. She enjoyed following her children and grandchildren’s FFA activities and sporting events, and taking them skating in Seibert and going to the county fair. Though she never once boarded a plane, saw the ocean beach or strayed very far from home due to the commitments of daily chores, she treasured camping/boating trips to Bonny Dam where many happy memories were made for kids and grandkids over the years. Loretta and Duane attended both the Sunnydale Evangelical Free Church and Flagler Baptist Church over the years.

Loretta was preceded in death by her parents, brother, husband Duane, daughter Debbie and granddaughter Kimberly. She leaves to mourn her loss her sisters: Maryetta Carneal, Dorothy Nichols, Norma Jean Harrison, Donna O’Brien, Paulette Ehlers along with her son in law Rod Diekman, daughter Roberta Stratton (Carlin), son Allen Charles (Lora) and grandchildren Stephen Benson, Lisa Shryock (Shawn), Zachary Stratton, Christina English (Kyle), Liz Miller, Frank Stratton (Lacy), Weston Charles (Jessica), Lyndee Charles, and Olivia Ridgway (Blake). She is also survived by beloved great grandchildren including Tatiana, Taylor Ann, Leila, Haylea, Raelyn, Charlotte, Easton, Eli, Landon, Luke, Layna, Jordy and Lincoln.

**NOTE: Please drive your classic vehicle to the service.**