Loretta Marie Hagerman

Days after celebrating her 95th birthday in her home on Orchard Mesa with fourteen loving family members, a woman who rarely allowed herself rest took her final one Sunday. Loretta Hagerman died peacefully in the early morning hours on November 3, of natural causes Loretta lost her spouse in 2004 and lived alone as a fastidious homemaker, never letting the walls go more than a few weeks unbleached. She was rarely alone, however. Five generations of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren kept her home lively. Over the course of 75 years, four generations learned to cook, bake, and conduct themselves with proper manners in her kitchen. At no time was the house devoid of life, something cooking or a half-completed puzzle. She was an elegant host, always ready to welcome one – or four – more. Hats off at the dinner table before saying grace. Loretta was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction on October 28, 1929, at the beginning of the Great Depression to Joseph and Mamie (Coccio) Petrafesco. She recalled early life at 405 Pitkin Avenue as a delightful adventure, playing hide and seek with her eight siblings and neighbors in Whitman Park. Life in 1930s Grand Junction was not easy, however. Loretta lost two more siblings as an infant and was not always certain she would get enough to eat. Around age 11, Loretta Petrafesco met her future husband, Harley Hagerman. Several years later, playmates turned romantic mates, and they were married on October 30, 1947, two days past her 18th birthday. Together, they produced three children, Jude Marie (Hagerman) Schneider, Susan Ann (Hagerman) Nierman, and Peggy Lynn Hagerman. Daughter Jude predeceased her, as well as her mother, father, and all ten of her siblings. She is survived by two daughters, 10 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. She worked as a clerk at the Mesa College Bookstore until 1999 and was a regular at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church until her mobility faltered. Loretta remained sharp until the end. She was a lifetime reader of The Daily Sentinel, never missing a detail about her hometown. In the last few years, she adopted technology, regularly texting with her great-grandchildren and reading the paper on her iPad. She was always curious, asking questions she might have known the answer to if only to stir conversation. Donations in her name can be made to Hopewest. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, November 7, at 10 am at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. A luncheon at St. Joseph’s will follow internment. She will be sent off the way she lived her life – surrounded by a family held together by shared experiences and united by her love.