Mary Loretta Henry, age 87, of Decorah, Iowa, passed away on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at her home surrounded by her family.

Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at St. Bridget Catholic Church, 3094 253rd Ave, Ridgeway, IA 52165, with Father Daniel Knipper presiding. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at Helms Funeral Home, 306 E. Water Street, Decorah, Iowa 52101. Rosary will be held at 3:30 p.m. Visitation will also be held from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at the church.

Loretta was born on June 6, 1939, the daughter of William and Pearl (McCauley) Gossman in Decorah, Iowa. Loretta attended country school near Bluffton and the Decorah High School. As a young lady, Loretta helped at home supporting her farming family. Loretta was united in marriage to Harlan Henry on September 10, 1956, at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church in Bluffton. To this union, four children were born: Laureen, Terry, Randal and Lynn. Together, Harlan and Loretta farmed all their lives, first near Plymouth Rock, and then moving to the Bluffton farm in 1960. Her love of animals was not limited to livestock, it also extended to her dogs, cats and bottle-fed orphaned lambs, and she enjoyed having our regular group of deer hunters come out to the farm annually. Loretta loved her family and raising their four children. She was known to be a great cook, always baking goodies for the kids; and when they got off the bus, they could smell the delicious cookie bars as they walked up the driveway. Some of her favorites were apple pie, apple crisp, chocolate chip cookie bars, pumpkin bars, and homemade bread. Loretta was very social and loved family time. She would host a family meal for extended family every Sunday after church and really enjoyed watching the grandchildren and great grandchildren. She also was an avid gardener and canner. She was a special Christian lady in all aspects of her life. Loretta was a loving caregiver. She helped take care of Madeline Henry, her mother-in-law, for over ten years; and, when Harlan had a farming accident in 2001, she was there by his side supporting his care in the nursing home for 15 years. In fact, she decided to take a job as a kitchen aide at Wellington Place so that she could support Harlan (and others) because she was there every day. Loretta didn’t know a stranger, everyone loved Loretta, her sweet smile, comical disposition, giggle, temperament and beautiful, big blue eyes. She is well known within the community, and her memory and cognition were excellent till the end. 

Loretta is survived by four children: Laureen Henry, Shawnee, KS, Terry Henry, Decorah, IA, Randal (Aurelyn) Henry, Steubenville, OH, and Lynn (Mark) Krivachek, Decorah, IA; eight grandchildren: Richard (Sara) Halse, Melissa (Kye) Palmer, Shanon (Patrick) Johnson, Bradley Henry, Brian Henry, Joseph Henry, Jason Krivachek, and Gina (Joshua Ludeking) Krivachek; eleven great grandchildren: Emily and Alex Halse, Clayton Palmer, Dexter and Isabella Johnson, Aurora and Delilah Henry, Aiden and Alden Whalen, and Blake and Grant Krivachek; four sisters-in-law: Mary Frank, Martha Wendl, Joneil (Carey Rohlfs) Henry and Sharon Tweten-Henry, along with numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.

Loretta was preceded in death by her husband, Harlan Henry; parents: Willam and Pearl (McCauley) Gossman, two brothers, Eldon and Paul Gossman, three sisters, Dolores Daley, Sadie Wilhelm and Evelyn Bohr, father and mother-in-law, Lawrence and Madeline (McCabe) Henry, one great grandchild, Ian Krivachek, and numerous brothers and sisters-in-law. 

Loretta created a legacy. She taught us to live with humility, compassion, kindness, and love, always encouraging us to see the bright side of life. Her legacy lives on in the hearts of her family, friends, and all those fortunate enough to have known her.