Loretta Rider, Salina
Obituary for Loretta E. (Meier) Rider | Ryan Mortuary
August 21, 1942 ~ September 5, 2021 (age 79)
Loretta E. Rider, 79, of Salina passed away on Sunday, September 5 at Salina Regional Hospital. Loretta was born on August 21, 1942, at the family farm near Westfall, KS to Lorenz and Anna (Wacker) Meier. She attended a one-room elementary school at St. Paul’s Lutheran Parochial school and graduated from Lincoln (KS) High School in 1960.
She was united in marriage to Norman D. Rider on December 25, 1959, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Lincoln. They were blessed with three daughters, Jodi, Vickie, and Janell. They later moved to Salina where Loretta lived until her death. She was a successful "Avon Lady,” going door to door with her trusty Avon bag and was a member of Avon’s President’s Club for years. She later worked at Young World and then Dillons, both in Sunset Plaza, where she retired after nearly 25 years. She met many wonderful people through her retail career who became lifelong friends, that she still regularly kept in contact with.
She was an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Salina for over 50 years where she was on several committees and volunteered making “goody boxes” for the military and college members. She had just become a Stephan Minister. She volunteered for several years at Rolling Hills Zoo and loved making the diet for her “chimps”. She was the glue that kept our family together especially during the years while Norman was an over-the-road truck driver. Her faith in God and family were the absolute, most important things in her life. Her children, grandkids and bonus kids and grandkids were her most treasured gifts.
She is survived by her daughters Jodi (Mark) Fisher, of Bennington, Vickie (Russell) Musselman, of Solomon and Janell (Thomas) Weeks, of Winfield; seven grandchildren, Jared (Faith) Rinderer, Ramstein AFB, Germany, Blake (Sarah) Rinderer, Altus, OK, Chad Rinderer, Salina, KS, Melissa (Jake) George, Salina, KS, Bradley Musselman, Solomon, KS, Matthew Jirak, Wichita, KS and Brittney (Mack) Stroup of Yulee, FL; six stepgrandchildren, Michael Fisher (Becky) of Marysville, Matthew Fisher (Tasha) of Colorado Springs, CO, Jackie Fisher, Paola, KS, Brett Fisher (Marcella) of Franklin, WI, Brandon Fisher (Ally) of Paola, KS and Daniel Fisher of Collinsville, IL; three great-grandchildren, Cody Stroup, Acacia Weeks, and Korbin Bosley; six stepgreat-grandchildren, Nathan and Dominic Fisher, Mackenzie, Mackayla, Hayden, Cayden Fisher. She will always be known to her grandkids as “Granny”!! She is also survived by her siblings Nancy Kilcoyne and Lambert Meier of Lincoln, KS and Doris Hughey of Salina KS as well as many beloved nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Norman, special friend Tom Scott, her parents, sister Hulda Wilkie and brother Eldon Meier, sister-in-law Sharon Meier and brother-in-law Tom Kilcoyne and niece Karen Peak.
Visitation will be Wednesday, September 8, from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. at Ryan Mortuary, Salina, with the family present. Funeral services will be Thursday, September 8, 10:30 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, Salina, KS with Pastor Dennis Kootz officiating.
Memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church or Rolling Hills Zoo.
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