Giovanna Loftus

Memorial Mass for Giovanna Loftus will be conducted from the All Saints Catholic Church in Holdrege, Nebraska on Monday, September 21, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. with Father Thomas Lux, officiating. Private family burial will be held at the Prairie Home Cemetery at Holdrege, prior to the Memorial Mass.

Giovanna Loftus, 70 years of age, of Holdrege, passed away on Thursday, September 17, 2009 at the Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege, following a courageous battle with cancer the past two years. She was born December 1, 1938 at Trieste, Italy, the eldest of four children of Guiseppe and Antonia (Narducci) Soranno. She was baptized and confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church in Italy. She received her education in a Catholic School that was directed by Sisters of the Catholic Faith in Trieste, Italy.

Following her education, Giovanna migrated to the United States in 1959 and made her home in Fremont, Nebraska, where she was employed by Campbell's Soup. While in Fremont she met Donald E. Loftus and the couple united in marriage on December 1, 1967. They were blessed with three children: Rosa, Marion and Jerry. The family made their home in Holdrege since 1967, where Giovanna was employed by Artistic Woven Labels for 37 years. In her retirement years, Giovanna enjoyed volunteering and was a host home provider for Mosiac.

On October 29, 2000 she was preceded in death by her husband, Don.

Her hobbies included dancing, tending to her yard, caring for her pets and especially loved spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved her Italian heritage and special interests was making sure that each of her grandchildren traveled to her homeland of Italy. Giovanna was an exceptional cook, and many in the community will remember her specialty of Lasagna, which she shared with many family and friends.

Besides her parents and husband Donald, she was preceded in death by her brother, Pierro Soranno.

She leaves to mourn her passing her three children: Rosa Hardin of Axtell, Nebraska, Marion Campana and her husband, Louis of Holdrege and Jerry Nelson and his wife, Tammy of Holdrege; seven grandchildren: Nicole Tidyman and her husband, Josh, Anthony Campana, Micheal Hardin, Natasha Hardin, Jeremy Nelson, Sara Nelson and Maggie Nelson; four great-grandchildren; two brothers: Franco Soranno and his wife, Stella and Antonio Soranno and his wife, Loretta all of Trieste, Italy; brother-in-laws: Robert Mueller of Fremont, Nebraska, Bernard Loftus and his wife, Patricia of Denver, Colorado and Earl Loftus of Council Bluffs, Iowa and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

A memorial has been established in her memory and will be designated at a later date.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home of Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.