Loretta E. Grimberg

Loretta Elayne Grimberg

Born Loretta Elayne Vandre in Merrill, WI on January 6th, 1947 to Carl and Dorothy Vandre, the first of 4 children.
She graduated from Denver Lutheran High school in 1964 and continued on to beauty school and earned her beautician’s license. She worked in the May D&F beauty salon for several years.
She married Robert Laird on August 14th, 1966 and their daughter Rindy was born June 23, 1969. They lived in Denver and then Lakewood for several years until Bob’s work took them to Tempe, AZ for 3 years. She was determined to have a pretty yard there, with grass and flowers, despite how crazy the locals thought she was! And she did. They had a beautiful yard and a pool that they enjoyed very much. They returned to Lakewood July 4th, 1976.
Having learned sewing in home economics in high school, she often sewed pretty clothes for her and Rindy, and later on for her grand daughter and Karissa. She would make pillows and appliance covers, towels- all sorts of things!
Her early affinity for all things floral led her to train for a new career in floral design under a gentleman by the name of Mr. K and so began her journey in the floral design business. She worked for Lehrer’s flowers in Cinderella City before she decided to shelve that for a bit and try something new. She then worked at a craft store in the Villa Italia Mall called Rug Crafters.
After Bob’s death in 1981, she married Ed Grimberg, July 25, 1981. She and RIndy moved to Golden, CO with Ed and his 3 children. The family moved back to Lakewood in 1983.
She continued to work for Lehrer’s off and on while she also would do flowers for friends and families weddings.
She began to take an interest in silk flowers and created a home business called the Silken Rose. Prior to the internet, success proved difficult and they took the leap on her own silk floral/gift shop in Green Mountain by the same name.
As they say, location, location, location! The shop wasn’t located in a high traffic area and they had to let it go within a couple of years.
Ed and Loretta adopted a daughter born December 1, 1993. They brought her home from Grand Junction on December 10th of the same year. The three of them moved to Denver in 1996 to be closer to her parents.
Loretta always loved all things pretty. She always had beautiful flowers beds, beautifully decorated homes and beautiful clothes. She worked creatively with her hands all of her life. She enjoyed sewing, macrame’, pressing flowers in books and using them in all kinds of creative ways. She would create latch hook pillows and rugs, she created several beautiful rugs and wall displays using a technique called tufting. She enjoyed crocheting, cross stitching and embroidery. She took to quilting several years ago and would cut and assemble quilt kits to sell on Ebay for others to build their own quilts. She lovingly made keepsake quilts for the girls and her grandchildren, as well as the keepsake quilt for her parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.
A lifelong Lutheran, her faith and her Jesus were a cornerstone in her life.
Loretta is survived by her husband, Ed; Daughters Rindy (Tom) and Karissa; step children Trish(Ken), John and Debbie(Justin); her mother Dorothy; Sister Ellen(John), brothers Jerry(Debbie) and Phil; Grandchildren Kaycie and Rob, and Ed’s four grandchildren.

 Visitation will be held at the Bullock Colonial Chapel on Thursday, April 24th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Services will be at Christ Lutheran Church (2695 South Franklin Street, Denver, CO 80210) on Friday, April 25th at 10:00 a.m.  Burial will follow at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.

Family & friends are encouraged to share stories and photograph's of Loretta here on her website. (Click appropriate tab above)