Alethia M. Loomis

Alethia M. Loomis, 105, of Mankato, Kansas, fell asleep in death on July 22, 2025, closing a chapter of love, resilience, and deep-rooted family devotion.

Born on December 30, 1919, in rural Smith County to Herman and Ivy (VanWay) Rannebeck. Life on the family farm shaped her early days, where she learned the value and joy of hard work and simple things, growing up with her older brother Lester and younger brother Melvin.

Her education began in the one-room Green Valley School, and she graduated from Athens High School full of ambition and a desire to be a teacher. One fateful evening at a skating party in Ionia, she gave a playful tug on the shirt tail of the cute Loomis boy. That began the romance that lasted for 44 years. After high school she got her normal school training to be a teacher at Kansas Wesleyan and was dating Clarence. She taught at Elm Creek and Green Valley country schools for 5 years.

Those early years together were transformed quickly as the scene of the world changed their lives dramatically. Clarence had nearly completed his one-year National Guard obligation when Pearl Harbor was attacked - he would be in the army until the end of WWII. Alethia went to Fort Benning, GA, for his graduation from officers training school in August 1942. Returning home for a short furlough, they rode a hot, dirty train with windows wide open and decided to get married without further delay on August 30, 1942. He returned to his unit while Alethia continued her teaching, but by October 1943 she joined him on military bases in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Indiana. When he got his overseas orders, she went home to live with her family and resume teaching.

When Clarence returned home, they made their life in Mankato. He was very busy building their new home and forming L&B Electric, an appliance and plumbing shop, with Lester Broyles. Alethia got very busy with the arrival of Sharon and then Marvin. She and Clarence welcomed their children and together they became a team - raising kids, running the L&B on Commercial Street, and helping bring electricity (REA) to rural Jewell County.

Their life was filled with driving hundreds of miles for music lessons, concerts, ball games, hunting trips, and later, the “experiment” of growing hydroponic tomatoes. Yet amidst the busyness, they also knew how to have fun. Most weekends there was some planned activity with family or friends that included fishing, camping, barbecues, playing cards, and dancing.

When Clarence passed away in 1986, Alethia once again met life’s challenge with the quiet determination that defined her life. With the support of family and devoted friends, she kept L&B Electric running until her well-earned retirement in 1995.

Her later years were filled with the joys of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, with whom she built cherished memories. She loved planning fun things with them, always eager to share her spark for life. Brice Loomis (Sylvia), daughter Isabella; Kevin Loomis, daughter Reagan; Lynn (Luke) Wagner, son Carson, daughter Makinley; Autumn Loomis; Patrick Loomis (Cassandra), daughter Octavia, sons Torin & Stellan, and Erin Murray.

She enjoyed sewing and gardening, often sharing both passions with her grandchildren. Trying new recipes was a favorite pastime - especially when they were in the kitchen to help. Her impressive shoe collection was also great for playing dress-up (and much giggling).

Alethia was deeply engaged in her community. A longtime member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, she also gave her time and talents to PEO, the Garden Club, coffee girls, neighborhood crafting circles, and card-playing friends. If there was a project or event that needed a helping hand, Alethia was there.

Alethia Loomis lived through a century of change with grace, grit, and a love for others. She is remembered fondly - for her warmth, her wisdom, her ready smile, and her unwavering presence in the lives of those around her. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

Alethia was preceded in death by her husband Clarence, parents and brothers Lester and Melvin Rannebeck, and is survived by her children Sharon Murray, Kansas City, MO, and Marvin Loomis (Kimberly), Mankato, KS

Funeral Services will be Friday, August 1, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mankato, Kansas. Burial will follow at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Mankato. Visitation will be Thursday, July 31st, from 1pm to 7pm, with the family greeting friends from 5pm – 7pm, at Melby Mortuary in Mankato. Memorials are requested to the Jewell Co. Hospital or the Mankato City Library, and may be sent to Melby Mortuary, PO Box 384, Mankato, Kansas, 66956.

Melby Mortuary is assisting the Loomis family with these arrangements, www.melbymortuary.com