Loretta Belle Kelly, 88, died of natural causes Tuesday, April 21, 2009, at the Northern Montana Care Center.
Crema-tion has taken place and private memorial services will be held. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery. Memorials in Loretta’s honor may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Services and arrangements have been entrusted to Holland & Bonine Funeral Home. Loretta was born Sept. 22, 1920, in Goodridge, N.D., to Charles B. and Violet Pearl (Arrowsmith) Loftus. Loretta’s father was a road surveyor for the United States government. She was raised around Mount Rushmore, S.D., and watched them carve the presidents' faces on the mountains. She moved a lot with her father as he traveled for his job. Loretta came to Havre in 1937. On Feb. 14, 1959, she married Herbert D. Kelly at Chinook, Mont. She loved cooking, crocheting, spending time with horses and other animals and reading history and true mystery novels. She also enjoyed collecting bears, owls, bells and salt-and-pepper shakers. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Herbert D. Kelly in 1985; one son, Alan Lee Thingstad; and four brothers, Howard Loftus, Raymond Brown, Steve Brown and Byron Brown. Loretta is survived by her children, daughter, Rosetta “Rusty” Lowry of Havre, Mont.; son, Charles G. Kuntz of Three Forks, Mont.; daughters, Pearluss Doney of Colville, Wash.; daughter Cheri Brindle of Havre, Mont,; and son, Howard Thingstad of Havre, Mont.; brother: Byron Brown of Hungry Horse, Mont.; sister, Leone Williamson of Missoula, Mont.; 14 grandchildren; and more than 20 great -grandchildren.
