Loretta Mae Smith Price, 81, of Fort Morgan, died Saturday, December 31, 2016 in the Emergency Room at Colorado Plains Medical Center in Fort Morgan.

A memorial service to honor her life will be Friday, January 6th at 10:00 AM at All Saints Lutheran Church at Eben Ezer in Brush.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Cal Farley's Boys Ranch, P.O. Box 1890, Amarillo, TX 79179 or to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Morgan.

She was born September 19, 1935 in Larned, KS to Karl Wallace & Laura Neoma (Balman) Smith. She received her elementary and secondary education and graduated from high school at Rozel, KS. Loretta attended Fort Hays State College in Hays, KS and later attended Morgan Community College in Fort Morgan, earning a two-year certificate.

Loretta married Donald C. Price on January 31, 1953 at Hope Lutheran Church in Rush Center, KS. They lived in Rozel in the summer of 1953, Hays, KS for three years, Hugoton, KS for three years, and Brush, CO for ten years. The then moved to Fort Morgan where they continued to live out their lives.

Loretta was a member of the Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer in Fort Morgan where she was active with several committees. She played golf and cards and kept busy with handcrafts. In 1961 she became interested in family history, and continued researching and compiling family history until the day of her death. She has effectively traced the recorded lineage of the family back through all of recorded human history to Adam and Eve.

Loretta is survived by her son, Gary (Kay) of Skokie, Il, and son, Ronald (Dianna) of Rozel, KS; and her daughter, Tia of Colorado Springs, CO; nine grandchildren, Erin Lustman, Megan O'Brien, Meryl Trefethen, Kevin Price, Ruth Price, Tara Roberts, Derek Roberts, Brenda Trimble, and Reginal Bowen; and eleven great grandchildren, Kayla, Josiah, Elias, Jaden, and Kirk Jackson, Amelie and Theron Trefethen, Audrey and Samuel Price, and Trey and Caydence Trimble.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, David in 1984; and her husband, Donald Price in 2013.

The last 13 years of her life of her life show how remarkably resilient she was in battling with and overcoming cancer. While the medical field had only given her hope of seven years, by God's grace, her family and friends have been blessed to have had the additional six years of her presence.

The last four years of her life show how committed and dedicated she was to family, as she willingly became the guardian and fulltime caregiver to one of her great grandchildren, Caydence Trimble. Many have wondered why she would enter into the challenging and demanding vocation of raising a child at her age. This was not a chore thrust upon her, rather, she reached out with purpose and determination to raise her great granddaughter in her home. She was not alone. Many fine souls – and you all know who you are – have given aid and assistance in caring for and nurturing Caydence. You are all to be thanked. Please do not think that your job is no longer necessary. Caydence will be making a major transition to a new home, and she must not be forgotten. Reach out to her in her new home and continue providing the friendship and love in order to bring her up into adulthood.