Loretta Marie Barton/McBreen
Loretta passed away peacefully on January 2, 2023, with her beloved granddaughter Tia at her side.
Loretta was the ninth of 12 children. She was born on the family’s ranch home just south of Oelrichs, SD. During the Great Depression, Loretta’s family moved to a mountain farm in Colville, WA.
After graduation, in 1943, she joined the Navy Waves and was trained as a Lab Technician. She earned the ranking of Pharmacist Mate 2nd Class in the Fall of 1945.
In 1946 Loretta married Joseph McBreen in Oakland, CA. In 1949 they welcomed Anita, next came Beth in 1950, followed by Janet in 1952. Loretta became a Sunday School Teacher and later a Brownie/Girl Scout Leader. She was an avid seamstress and made most of the dresses that her girls wore for special occasions, and her granddaughters’ prom dresses and wedding dress. When the girls were in their teens, Loretta decided to enroll at Contra Costa College to follow her passion of becoming a nurse. She worked for many years at the community hospital in Martinez, CA, later working at Herrick Hospital in Berkeley. After moving to Portland, she worked at Baptist Manor. Not long after moving to Oregon, she lost Joe in 1978 to ALS.
She had become a grandma in 1968 to her granddaughter Tia, which was the light of her life. Later becoming a great-grandma to Andrew Holmes, which brought that spark back into her life.
A vibrant woman all her life, the last few years were challenging. She was able to celebrate her 100th birthday this last October with her family and friends. She is survived by her two daughters, Beth Dahl and Janet Duran, along with her granddaughter Tia Dahl-Holmes (Paul Holmes) and great-grandson Andrew Holmes (Katy Holmes).
Loretta was fiercely independent, determined to fix anything, but more than anything she was a caretaker. She tried her best to take care of everyone around her. She was loved by many. She will be missed by everyone who knew her.