Gretchen Sophia Luther

Gretchen Sophia Luther, 87, of Bloomington, formerly of New London, died Wednesday, February 12th at Amira Choice in Bloomington where she had suffered from dementia in the last years of her life. 

Gretchen was born in Willmar, MN on December 31, 1937. She graduated from Willmar High School and from the University of Minnesota. She married LaVern Luther in 1959, and they had two children, Gregg and Katie.

They spent their first years of marriage in La Crosse, WI before settling in Bloomington, MN where Gretchen taught second grade at Poplar Bridge. Once the kids came along, she became a part-time special ed teacher.

Gretchen was extremely active. She joined bowling leagues, golf leagues, and calligraphy classes. She spent a great deal of time using her creative side to produce home decor for her Holly Patch Holiday Craft Sale that she ran for 10+ years.

After retirement they moved to New London, MN, and spent their time playing golf, hosting and attending social events, and volunteering for Rice Hospice of Willmar. In the winters they would move to Surprise, AZ and continue golfing and hosting social activities.

She had a devoted circle of friends ranging from her classmates from high school (that she would travel with every year), to friends she met while teaching, and her friends in the Willmar area. Her consistent engagement and the various ways she maintained contact were truly inspiring. Once she was your friend, it was forever, and you knew it. She was known for her sense of humor, honest dialog, and as a snappy dresser.

Gretchen is survived by her son, Gregg (Jennifer) Luther and their son, Dalton; daughter, Katie (John) Church and their daughters, Sophie and Josie; nephew, Jeff (Darica) Nelson; brother-in-law ,LaRoy (Lila) Luther and her nephews and nieces, Jim (Roberta) Luther, Lisa (Brett) Carlson, and Lori (Jeff) Boyer; many cousins and special friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, LaVern, in 2011; her father, J. Mauritz Nelson, and her mother, Josephine (Dolbeck) Nelson; JoAnn, a sister that died before Gretchen was born; brother, J. Gregor Nelson; brother-in-law, Robert Luther; and aunts and uncles.

The family would like to thank Compassionate Cottages of Willmar, Amira Choice of Bloomington, and Hospice of the Midwest for their dedication and responsiveness to Gretchen and her needs. Funeral arrangements are with the Johnson Funeral Home in New London.

Her funeral will be 11:00 am, Saturday, March 1st at Peace Lutheran Church in New London with visitation one hour prior to the service with a luncheon to follow.  In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Green Lake Lutheran Ministries at https://www.gllm.org/give-today.

Gretchen's funeral will be livestreamed via:https://www.youtube.com/live/0uGWclpwdZ4?si=cLxjNCwca7S88X3v

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