Lorraine Esther Pittz

Lorraine E. Pittz, 90, of Grand Island, died Monday, August 29, 2016 at Tiffany Square Care Center.



Services will be 11:00 a.m. Friday, September 2, 2016, at Peace Lutheran Church, Grand Island with the Rev. Michael Reiners officiating. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday, in Minden Cemetery, Minden, NE. Visitation hours will be 4-7 p.m. Thursday, September 1, 2016 at Apfel Funeral Home. Memorials are suggested to the family. Apfel Funeral Home is caring for the family.



Lorraine Esther Pittz was born in Kenesaw, Nebraska on March 2, 1926 to Christian and Louise Einspahr.

She was baptized at Wanda Lutheran Church and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Hastings.

After her parents moved to Hastings Lorraine attended and graduated from Hastings High School.



She met her husband of 54 years, Edward Pittz, when he was home on leave from the Army. Ed brought her roses on every wedding anniversary and after he deceased, their son Vaughn continued the tradition. They lived in Holstein and raised their three children until Ed was transferred to Minden as a rural mail carrier.



Lorraine began her teaching career when she was 16. After many years of night school, she graduated from Hastings College in 1958 with a Bachelors Degree in Education. After 39 years of teaching Lorraine retired in 1991. She taught in schools in Doniphan, Holstein, Roseland, and Bladen, and spent her last 21 years teaching 1st grade in Minden, Nebraska. Nothing gave her more pleasure. Ed died in 2000 and Lorraine moved to Grand Island where she continued to substitute teach for a few years. She belonged to Alpha Delta Kappa (ADK), the American Legion, and the International Reading Association.



She loved teaching, gardening, enjoying nature, painting, cooking, listening to music, singing, playing the piano, and watching Nebraska football. She loved people and in her later years spent many hours on the phone, sharing news with family and friends. She kept the extended family updated on how others were doing and the important events in the Einspahr and Pittz families. She had many friends and tried to help others whenever she could.



She was a devout Christian and attended church her whole life. At the time of her death she was a member of Peace Lutheran Church in Grand Island. She was a member of Shalom, taught Sunday School, and sang in the choir.



Lorraine is survived by her three children Beverly, Vaughn and Shirley; their spouses, Wayne Burson, Cindy Pittz, and John Stolpman; her 6 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.



Lorraine is preceded in death by her parents, her seven siblings Everett, Palmer, Victor, Orville, Naoma, Orlinda, Grace, and Fern and one great grandchild Braxon.

Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.apfelfuneralhome.com