BELOIT – Loretta Eve Coffelt was born on November 12, 1923 to Frank and Rose Eck (Wessling) on the family farm, south of Beloit, Kansas.
Loretta departed this life on June 23, 2021, at the age of 97. She passed peacefully in her sleep at the Residential Care Center in Beloit, Kansas. She was a member of Saint John's Catholic Church. Her faith in the Lord was the most important part of her life. She was devoted to the Blessed Mother, and said her rosary daily.
Loretta lived at the family farm for many years, and attended the country school down the road from the farm. She helped raise her brothers so her Mother could work in the fields with her Father, to help support their family. In 1945, she married Ralph Pahls of Tipton, Kansas. From this union, she had three wonderful children. Ielene Haynes of Beloit Kansas, Ralph Pahls (Diane), of Beloit, Kansas, and Michael Pahls (Heidi), of Menifee, California.
She was a hard worker, and worked several jobs in Beloit. She cleaned houses, worked at the old Community Hospital, worked as a waitress, and worked at Duckwalls store for a few years. In 1957, she and her family moved to California. She worked at a turkey hatchery for a few years, and then purchased a laundromat in Riverside, California.
In 1985, her husband Ralph passed away. In 1987 she married her second husband, William Ray Coffelt. She became a Step Mother to two wonderful women, Marlene Kniss of Victorville, California, and Mary Ann Schmitt of Vienna, Virginia. She and her husband Ray, moved from California to Bernice Oklahoma, where she and Ray worked and helped run her brother, Don Eck and wife Mickie's Pub and Grill at the resort they owned. She and Ray lived and worked on the resort for 8 years. In 1995 Loretta's Mother, Rose, passed away. She and Ray moved to Beloit to be closer to her brother's. In 2008, her loving husband passed away, she remained living in Beloit, until the Lord called her home.
Proceeding her in death, her parents, Frank and Rose Eck, her Brother's, Edward Eck, Gerald Eck, and infant Brother Albert Eck. Her Husband's Ralph Pahls and William Ray Coffelt.
Loretta is survived by her 3 Children, Ielene, Ralph and Michael, who blessed her with 6 Grandchildren, Shelly Nordbeck of California, Sherry Taylor of California, Kelly Pahls of Nevada, Jeffrey Pahls of Arizona, Gary Pahls of Michigan, and Brandon Pahls of California. 16 Great Grand Children, 4 Great Great Grandchildren and 2 more arriving in September and October 2021 Loretta was a devoted Wife, Mother, Sister, and Grandmother. She was kind, loving, giving, caring, and will be missed dearly by her family.
Mass of Christian burial will be Tuesday, June 29, 2021 at Saint John's Catholic Church at 10:00 a.m. (or the high school because of church cleanup.
Interment to follow at Saint John's cemetery
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Saint John's education
