Loretta Catherine (Niemerg) Hardiek, 78, of Bishop Creek (rural Dieterich) died at 1:50 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, at St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital, Effingham.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Bishop Creek (rural Dieterich), with burial in St. Aloysius Cememtery. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today at the church with a 4:30 p.m. Council of Catholic Women rosary and a 6:30 p.m. parish wake service. Memorials may be made to the donor's choice. Bauer Funeral Home, Effingham, is assisting the family with arrangements.

Ms. Hardiek was born Feb. 25, 1932, in rural Dieterich, the daughter of John W. and Rose (Koestner) Niemerg. She married Donald B. Hardiek Sept. 25, 1954.

She was a homemaker and an active lifelong member of St. Isidore Parish and church choir as well as a member of the Council of Catholic Women. She was a member of the quasquicentennial committee for St. Aloysius Church, which was celebrated in 1990. She was a kind and caring person who loved her husband of 56 years, her children and grandchildren.

She was devoted to her family and loved making memories, especially during the Christmas season. She was known for her pies and Christmas cookies, which were decorated by her children and in later years by her grandchildren.

She was gifted in craft-making and especially enjoyed creating handmade items such as quilts, afghans, embroidered items and crocheted Christmas angels, which she gave to family and friends. She loved gardening, flowers, playing cards and helping on the family farm. She enjoyed telling stories about the years she worked on the farm, driving the tractors and doing the field work.

Loretta is survived by her husband, Don, of Dieterich; children, Sharon (Mark) Westendorf of Springfield, Bruce (Janet) of Bishop Creek, Ruth (Dan) Dust of Bishop Creek, Bill (Theresa) of Teutopolis, Tim (Cheryl) of Bishop Creek and Jack (Karla) of Teutopolis; grandchildren, Christy (Chad) Hawthorne, Becky (Jim) Webb, Colleen and Alex Westendorf, Maria, Lora and Holly Dust, Aaron and Andy Hardiek, Michelle, Kendra, Kyle and Mitchell Hardiek, and Jarrett, Josh, Julia and Justin Hardiek; stepgrandchildren, Stephanie (Todd) Waldhoff and Jason (Prabha) Kitterman; and great-stepgrandchildren, Mariah and Damien Kitterman.

She is preceded in death by her parents and three sisters, Marian Runde, Pauline (and husband, John) Sandschafer and Frances Niemerg.