Loretta Giroux

Funeral Mass for Loretta Marie Giroux, age 78, of Wheaton, Minnesota will be held Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at Ave Maria Catholic Church in Wheaton with Fr. Joe Vandeberg Celebrant. Organist will be Cindy Sanasack with special music provided by the Ave Maria Catholic Church Choir. Pallbearers will be Kevin Malecek, David Kula, Joseph Kula Daniel Davidson, Jim Braness, Gordy Braness, Jaden Braness and Thomas Kula. Honorary Pallbearers will be the Sorenson family, the Kula family, the Giroux family; her Koinonia family, The 'kids' in the class of 1952, her sista' Linda Larson, her Ave Maria church family, Dr. Stan Gallagher, and the many people who have touched her life with the love of God. Interment will be in Graceville Cemetery, Graceville, Minnesota. Visitation will be held Saturday morning from 9:00 a.m. until service time at Ave Maria Catholic Church. Loretta Marie Sorenson Kula Giroux was called home to be with her Lord on Thursday, February 7, 2013. She was born in Wheaton Minnesota on the 2nd day of June in 1934, the third daughter of Emil and Eleanor (Jones) Sorenson. Most of her life was spent in Wheaton. She and the family lived in Bariboo, Wisconsin for a short time and then moved to California where her dad worked building ships for the Second World War. They returned to Wheaton and opened the Sorenson Eat Shop which they operated until the early 1950's. Her mother, Eleanor, passed away in 1951 which took the wind from the family's sails and life was not the same. Loretta graduated from Wheaton High School in 1952. She worked at Marie's Dress Shop until her marriage. Loretta married George Kula on August 16, 1955. George being in the United States Marine Corp, they lived in Las Vegas, Nevada for eight years. They were blessed with three children, Katherine, Michael and Anthony. Upon George's death in September 1963, Loretta moved back to Wheaton with her children to be with family. Loretta was mostly a stay-at-home-mother. Her children were the most important part of her life. She worked for West Central Community Action, the Traverse Care Center and Wheaton Community Hospital after the children were older. In 1990 she married Arthur Giroux. They enjoyed their retirement years together. In 1990 she attended a Koinonia Retreat and her life changed. She said, "God moved from her head to her heart and from that day on she lived with her best friend, Jesus, always ready to share his love with those she met." At Easter time, she would pick 40 people from the telephone book - all strangers one person for each day of the Lenten season and call them up and visit and talk about her friend, Jesus. For years Loretta suffered with severe pain which limited her activities, but she reached out to people by phone or in prayer. Loretta wrote poetry and she touched many lives with her published poem book, "My Gifts of Love to You." She wanted everyone to have the great love of Jesus that she had. She loved to cook and bake for a crowd - she always said cooking for two was work, maybe because her pots and pans were too big - she couldn't make a small batch of anything because she never knew who many would be at the round kitchen table. No one ever left her table hungry. Loretta loved her children - but she also dearly loved her nine grandchildren: Melanie (Dan) Davidson, Kevin (Mandy) Malecek, David Kula, Stefanie Kula, Rachel Kula, Joseph Kula, Molly Kula, Elizabeth Kula, and Thomas Kula. And then came the great-grandchildren, Ella Malecek and Samuel Davidson. She was in her glory when the children were around. Loretta would say she had a wonderful life. the love of family - two loving husbands - three great kids - nine super grandkids, two of the most precious great grandkids, and many caring friends. Loretta was ready to meet her Lord. She will be missed. Our hearts are broken but only for a short time until we meet again. She lived a life that has shown us the way. She was preceeded in death by her parents, Emil and Eleanor Sorenson, sisters, Emily Braness and Shirley Carmichael and brother, Stanley Sorenson. She is survived by husband, Arthur Giroux, her children, Kathy (Dale) Malecek, Michael (Alison) Kula and Tony (Valerie) Kula, 9 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren, her sister Phyllis (Tom) Fitzgerald, many nieces and nephews and a multitude of friends.