Obituary of Loretta Mary Winters

Loretta Mary Winters was born on December 18, 1935, in Columbus, Montana to Bernard C. Visser and Jennie T. Visser, the youngest of seven children. She attended grade school in a one room country school and attended high school at Billings Central, graduating with the class of 1954. She attended Eastern Montana College in Billings where she met Robert G. Winters. They married in 1956 and were later divorced. Loretta began working at Dick Grieb Buick in 1975. There, she became the first woman Service Manager in the Northwest Zone for the Buick Motor Division and held that position until the dealership closed in 1994. She won numerous awards and world class trips for customer service satisfaction. She enjoyed her co-workers and meeting the customers, with many becoming lifelong friends. Loretta later worked as a receptionist at Johnson Distributing until her retirement in 1998. Loretta is survived by her beloved children, Cindy (Allan) Peterson of Moses Lake, Washington, Coni Thornburg (Dennis) of Ojai, California, and Mark (Brooke) Winters of Great Falls, Montana; grandchildren, Lindsey Thornburg, Troy Peterson, Lanie Lamb, Austin and Michael Burns, Reid, Peyton, and Parker Winters; great-grandchildren, Teddy Peterson, Petra and Trygg Lamb; nieces, Teresa, Denise, and Sue; nephew, Butch; many great-nieces and nephews; and son-in-law, Greg Burns. She was preceded in death by her beloved daughter, Roberta L. Winters-Burns; her parents, Bernard and Jennie; brothers, Bernard, John, and Jim Visser; sisters, Genevive Reymer, Teresa Kolesar, and Anne Marie Visser; nephews, Jim and Mike; and niece, Cheryl. Loretta was a woman of faith who loved spending time with her family enjoying laughter and lots of love. Her hopes and wishes were that we would all live a happy life, love those around us, and always support the farmers. A celebration of Loretta’s life will be at noon, January 22, 2025, with a memorial Mass at Saint Ann’s Cathedral, 715 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, Montana. Lunch will be served following the Mass. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Saint Ann’s or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Condolences for the family may be shared online at www.SchniderFuneralHome.com.