Loretta Tognazzi, 95, of Spring Valley, Ill., formerly of Delavan, died Oct. 10, 2015, at Aperion Care of Spring Valley, Ill.
Loretta was born Dec. 1, 1919, in Spring Valley, Ill., to Stanley and Frances Wujek Pierski. She married Onofrio (Nofe) Tognazzi July 10, 1943, in San Diego. After his tour of service in the Navy, they returned to Spring Valley, Ill. He died June 14, 2003.
As a young girl, she was the first organist at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Dalzell, Ill. She always knew she wanted to be a nurse, so she entered the licensed practical nursing program at St. Mary’s in LaSalle, Ill., and after graduation went to work at St. Margaret Hospital in Spring Valley, Ill. At the age of 49, she went back to Illinois Valley Community College to become a registered nurse. At age 51, in 1970, she graduated suma cum laude.
After school they moved to Delavan, where they built a new home in the Oak Meadow subdivision and stayed for 30 years and made many new friends. Loretta worked at Lakeland Nursing Home in Elkhorn as an RN until retiring.
They were members of St. Andrew Catholic Church in Delavan and the senior club. Through the years she and her husband taught square dancing and were members and officers of a square dancing family organization called Folk Valley in Ottawa. They traveled all over the United States and Europe. They went to Italy several times to visit her husband’s relatives. She belonged to many organizations and had many hobbies including gardening, sewing, baking, knitting, crocheting and tap dancing. She was the Woman of the Week in 1970. After her husband died, she returned to Spring Valley, Ill., in 2004, to live with her daughter, Judy. She then became a member of The Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Spring Valley, Ill.
Loretta is survived by her daughter, Judy Bregar, of Spring Valley, Ill.; two granddaughters, Renee (John) Wells, of Rockford, Ill. and Jennifer Carlson, of Clinton, Mont.; four great-grandchildren; one sister, Lorraine Workman, of Peoria, Ill.; and nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband and two brothers.
Visitation and Mass of Christian burial will take place Friday at the Parish of The Nativity of Our Lord in Spring Valley, Ill, with the Rev. Robert Spilman officiating The Barto Funeral Home, Spring Valley, Ill., is assisting the family.
