Loretta Vanselus, age 83, of Shell Lake, WI, went to Heaven on Thursday, December 7, 2023, at Indianhead Medical Center in Shell Lake.

Loretta was born Loretta Lou Banks on February 14, 1940, in Trego Wisconsin to Harry Forbes and Bernice Loretta (Engle) Banks. Loretta grew up in Trego and attended school locally. It was in Trego that she met and married Paul Stone and raised their five children while residing in Spooner and began attending the Spooner Church of the Nazarene. She worked for a number of years at the Spooner hospital as a nurse's aide.

In 1974 the family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Loretta received a Ministry in Music degree from the Nazarene Bible College. For the next eight years, Loretta and her family of five children traveled across the western United States as the Stone Family Evangelistic Team spreading the word of God through music. Her passion for music and the Lord was evident every Sunday as she and her husband Butch traveled 60 miles round trip to lead music at Danbury Church of the Nazarene where they are charter members.

In June of 1991, she married Ernest (Butch) Vanselus of Shell Lake and settled down on their farm, which was her lifelong passion. She enjoyed raising pigs, watching birds outside their windows and other wildlife that the country offered. She enjoyed taking her grandchildren swimming and fishing, with trips to the ice cream stand when they would visit.

Loretta is preceded in death by parents and Stepfather William Banks, her son Harold Stone, Daughter Paula Powell (John), and two brothers Barry and Donald Banks and half brother Billy (William). Loretta is survived by her husband Ernest Vanselus of Shell Lake, daughter Marjean Fisher (Rudy) of Monee, IL, sons Mark Stone (Shelly) of Stow, OH Matthew Stone (Cory) of Birchwood, WI, and son-in-law John Powell, Chinook, MT. Also survived by 2 half sisters Cindy Stoll and Barbara Koshikawa. She is Grandmother to 11, Joshua, Bethany, Tammy, Michael, Brittney, Cameron, Carter, Reyna, Meghan, Jameson, Edmond and Great-Grandmother to six.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, December 14, 2023, at the Church of the Nazarene in Spooner at 11:00 PM. A visitation will take place one hour prior at the church. Interment will follow after the service at the Shell Lake Cemetery.

Last Update: Dec 12, 2023 2:13 pm CST