Loretta Josephine Brady, 88, of Cashton, WI, passed away Saturday, September 20, 2025, at Norseland Nursing Home in Westby, WI.
Loretta was born on January 19, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois, to Roy and Josephine (Kolak) Grgurich. At the age of ten, her family relocated from Chicago to the small town of Warrenville, Illinois. She later graduated from Wheaton Central High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in home economics, with a minor in psychology, from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.
Loretta married Norman Brady on March 28, 1959, and together they shared 63 years of marriage until his passing.
She dedicated many years of her career to the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service, the DuPage County Farm Bureau, and also served on the DuPage County Fair Board.
In 1993, Loretta and Norman retired to a farm in Cashton, WI, where she continued living out her deep belief in community service. She surrounded herself with people who shared her values and interests, and her hands were rarely still. Over the years, she knitted hundreds of helmet liners for the military, mittens for children, teddy bears to bring comfort, and quilts for veterans. Through these countless acts of kindness, she touched many lives.
Although Loretta was not blessed with children of her own, she played a meaningful role in the lives of many—especially the children in the large family she married into, as well as their friends and others who were fortunate to know her.
Loretta was preceded in death by her husband Norman three years to the day of her death; parents, Roy and Josephine Grgurich; brother and sister-in-law Frank and Carol Grgurich.
Soft-spoken yet unwavering in her determination, Loretta leaves behind a legacy of quiet strength, service, and love.
Graveside services will be held Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 11:00 a.m. at the Immanuel Lutheran- Moen Cemetery, rural Cashton. Pastor Amanda Schultz will officiate. Following the burial there will be a light lunch at Torkelson Funeral Home 720 Wisconsin ST, Cashton, WI.
Online condolences may be offered at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com.
Torkelson Funeral Home
