Loren Lovell Treffer

Strength has many faces, and all of them came together in Loren Lovell Treffer. The strength of his body, mind and spirit shaped a life of stewardship and love. That life ended Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018, at his home near Broken Bow. But his memory will continue to inspire generations of his loved ones.

Loren was born June 1, 1932, in rural Sherman County, to Lovell John and Pauline Genevieve (Celmer) Treffer. He was the fourth of eight children. Born into the Great Depression, he had early lessons in hard work and sacrifice. At their farm near Rockville, he helped build his father’s barn and established a wind break by carrying buckets of water to seedlings through a long, dry summer. His first paycheck from a “real” job went to buy bikes for his youngest brother and sister.

Educated in Sherman County rural schools, Loren skipped two elementary grades. He was especially good with numbers, and could add or subtract long series of sums without paper or pen, and also loved reading. Loren never stopped learning.

He started farming full-time with his family at age 13, using horse-drawn equipment for several years. After a short time in Colorado working various jobs, he came back to Rockville and married Delores Darlene Dethlefs on June 9, 1952. Their first son, Bruce Alan, was born in 1953 and Michael Kent was born in 1954.  They moved to Shelton and then Palmer, adding daughters Linda Lea in 1956 and Dawn Deanne in 1958.

Loren could fix anything, especially if it had a motor. That talent led him to a job at Baker Oil Co. in Stromsburg. By 1963, he had saved enough money to open Treffer Standard Service in Osceola. Daughter Janette Lyn was born there, in 1968.

Loren ran the full-service gas station and auto repair business until the late ‘60s, when the newly opened Interstate 80 took traffic and business away from Osceola. He worked for Tonniges Chevrolet after his business sold, but in 1972 moved his family to Broken Bow to take a job with Ruff Motor Co.  He became service manager of Gateway Motors in 1974, retiring in 1994.  

Loren’s career was marked by a desire to advance and provide for his family. He was constantly working toward a goal; as soon as he reached one, he’d set another.

Though talented with cars, Loren’s passion was for the land and his animals. He always had horses around, and made extra money when he was younger by breaking untamed horses to ride. He was a regular at area horse shows in the 1950s and ‘60s, competing in and often winning events such as egg races and rescue races. While in Osceola, he founded the Goldenrod Saddle Club, riding with his children in shows and parades.

He bought his first registered American Quarter Horse and served as an inspector for the Model Quarter Horse Association in the 1960s. Together with their sons, Loren and Delores bought their first registered Angus heifer for $100 in 1957. Loren built both into quality herds. In his retirement, Loren continued to farm and ranch.

A cowboy at heart, Loren took care of his land, his animals and his family until the day he died. No matter how busy he was, though, he always had time for fun. He greeted everyone with a smile and a joke. He sang with his brothers while growing up and loved country music; dances were regular events at their house and Loren was quick to take the floor for a polka or waltz. He competed in demolition derbies. His children remember that he would always stop long enough for a quick game of baseball and coached Little League for several years. He and Delores were members of a card club, playing 10-point pitch one night every month.  He was a member of the United Methodist Church in Broken Bow, was formerly a member of the Broken Bow Elks Club, and served as a 4-H leader in both Polk and Custer counties.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Leo, Bud, Glen, Jack and Bob; sister Carolyn Smith; and his parents-in-law Carl and Laura (Hehnke) Dethlefs.

He is survived by his wife, Delores, of Broken Bow; sons Bruce (Christy) of Lexington and Mike (Corlyus) of Gering; daughters Linda Smith of Ceresco, Dawn (Rob) Wheeler of North Platte and Jan (Will) Thompson of Overton; grandchildren Evan June, Alison (Mark) Schmidt, Ben (Sara) Treffer, Patrick Smith, Garrett Treffer, Christopher Wheeler, Josh Thompson, Leah Treffer, David Thompson, Sarah Treffer, Gregory Treffer and Lauren Thompson; great-grandchildren Koral and Kyra Schmidt and Cali, Cash and Carsyn Treffer; and one sister, Sharon (Dale) Huddleston of Johnson Lake.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the United Methodist Church in Broken Bow, with burial following at the Broken Bow Cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday at Govier Bros. Mortuary, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM with family in attendance from 5-6 p.m. Memorials are suggested to St. Jude’s Hospital, Custer County 4-H Activities, and the Broken Bow EMTs.