Loretta May Culpepper

Loretta May Culpepper was born on October 30, 1922 in Mount Morris, New York to Sadie May Orcutt and Edward Swift. Her homecoming was Saturday, January 2, 2016 at the age of 93. By the age of seven she was an orphan and lived with various relatives and friends of the family until she graduated high school. Within a few years she met and married her first husband, Clarence La Comb in New York and they traveled to Pasadena, CA where they lived until both were offered jobs in Reno at the Nevada State Hospital. A family was not to be for Lori and Clarence after four unsuccessful pregnancies.

A few years after her husband passed she met the man she would eventually marry in l973, James W. Culpepper, known as Jim. With that marriage she inherited three daughters, and five grand children that provided her with the family she had always wanted. Being that Lori was an orphan and had no siblings, she was thrilled to have a family of her own. Not only was she a talented seamstress, she could upholster furniture, was extremely creative, kept a beautiful home and was a loving wife to Jim, and also a thoughtful and caring step-mother and grandma.

Lori and Jim retired in 1987 and made their home in Grants Pass to be closer to Minnie Dalton who had taken Lori under her wing and had become a mother figure.

They enjoyed camping, fishing, planting an annual vegetable garden, and they always had a dog. Lori was the consummate animal lover who never met an animal she didn’t like. According to her, many of her best friends were animals. They owned a desert tortoise for 15 years, who they named Charlie Culpepper. When they moved to Grants Pass, Charlie was a living inheritance to their son-in-law in California, and he’s been a part of the family for almost 45 years.

They attended Day Spring Baptist Church for many years and Lori made herself available to help out with the cleaning of the church or whatever needed attention. She was a dear neighbor to many and always willing to lend a helping hand where needed. She was an excellent caregiver to Jim who was the love of her life. After his passing in 1998 she lived alone until 2008 when she agreed to move to Volcano, CA to live with her oldest daughter, Theresa. After a year she moved to Sparks, NV and lived with daughter Judy for close to 4 years before moving to a Care Home due to her increasing dementia. She was very well cared for and she enjoyed three days a week at More to Life Adult Day Health Center for more than six years where she was loved and had many friends. Countless lives were blessed by having known Lori, and she will be missed by many. Only four foot ten, but the old saying, “Good things come in small packages” fits her to a tee.

She is survived by three daughters, Theresa (Doug) Coleman of Volcano, CA, Judy (Gene) Robinson, Sparks, NV, Betti Jean (Rob) Easton, Olympia, WA; Grandchildren, Debbye Beverett, Joe Coleman, April Dini, and Amy Lukin; Great grandchildren, Vanessa Hewlett, Stephanie and Jacob Coleman. Blake Dini, Juliana and Haley Lukin. and she was preceded in death by a grandson, Clinton James Neyses of Sparks, NV.

Services will be held at Hull and Hull Funeral Home on Friday, January 15 at 1:00 PM. A reception will be held at the funeral home after the service before the entombment. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Humane Society.