Loretta Marie Hickey

Loretta Marie Spanke, was born March 22, 1930.  In Loretta’s 94 years of life on earth, she took the goodness she was born with and shared, shared, shared. 

Loretta was born in a family of nine children, a family of farmers.  Her father and mother had purchased land in Laton, California until an eventual move into Hanford on Bush Street in where they had enough room on the lot to continue farming produce.  Loretta told of many stories about prepping the ground they had available, the seasonal planting of different vegetables, the harvesting and the eventual sale of all these fresh products to not only grocery stores in Hanford (yes, you all probably have some Spanke veggies in your biochemistry!), but Mom and her sisters would load their wagon and go door to door to earn a profit for their season’s hard work.  This kept the family together and everyone contributed.

Loretta had an amazing younger life, so many remarkable stories of living/being a “nanny” in one of the wealthier citizen’s home of Hanford, and even when younger, maybe age 9, taking the train ALL BY HERSELF to visit with an aunt in northern California. 

Oh the times she could tell us about!  Yes, much hard work, every day, and much prayer in the family, every day.  But, also those times of just fun!! The combination of Dad and Mom put that in our blood!

Loretta met Bobby Joe Hickey (Bob)  in their high school years in Hanford High.  Bob was quite the ladies' man, charming, handsome, quite the gentleman.

Loretta told the story about after they had dated for some time, one evening when Bob came to visit Loretta at her mother’s home, Mom asked how his day had been.  He said “busy”.  (Bob really was not a man to talk a whole bunch – when it came to matters of the heart).  Bob told Loretta he spent all his money (just meaning what he had in his pocket at the time).  Loretta asked him ON WHAT!  (Loretta always the conservative - that we all hope to grow up to be like).  Bob pulled a box out of his pocket, a ring box.  Loretta’s heart skipped. Yes, inside an engagement ring……

Bob and Loretta married February 4, 1950, purchased acreage at 18999 8th avenue in Hanford, where they lived, worked, lived, worked, raised FOUR girls with Loretta’s utmost Catholic respect and both Bob and Loretta’s utmost work ethics.  Mom made many happy memories from those years on the farm for all the family, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends.  The smell of fresh baked peanut butter cookies is something no one forgets.

Loretta through her whole life served her Lord. She gave and gave and gave.  Not only to help each of her girls when they needed support, comfort, medical help, financial help, but to be there anytime anyone needed a friend to talk to….

Loretta had a special gift from God to know how to help not only family but others. 

Loretta never asked for anything. But always Loretta made Christmas the best for everyone. Christmas was very special to Loretta, Christ’s birth.  Every year for many years Loretta had a present for each and every family member - and boy did that family grow over the years!   Loretta loved Christmas.

We all hope we can grow up to be like Mom.

Loretta passed away December 23, 2024.

Her legacy lives on in her family.  Surviving Loretta are daughter Linda Johnson and husband Emmett, daughter Brenda Church, daughter Denise Haughton and husband Gerald, daughter Sandra Young and husband Gordon.  Her grandchildren and their spouses, Mark and Ami Johnson, Clinton and Tammy Church, Jason and Renee Nagel, Curtis and Donna Marshall, Ben and Sueann Young, Andrew and Jenna Young. Great-grandchildren, Blake and Ashlee Johnson, Bryce and Kylie Nagel, Caleb Church, Aryanah and Samantha Marshall, Matthew, Isaac and Josiah Young.  Sister Joyce Maurer.  Many nieces and nephews.

Loretta was preceded in death by her husband, Bobby Joe Hickey, sister Isabel Baker, sister Ailene Conners, sister Juanita Casey, sister Cecilia Burnett, brother Theodore Spanke, sister Janice Cockran, brother Lawrence Spanke.

Private burial services.

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