Loretto, Rush Co., Kansas
Discussion about the need to establish another congregation south of Pfeifer, over the Rush County line began in 1902. There were 17 Volga German Catholic families living in the area. These discussions finally came to fruition in 1912 a two-story church building was constructed.
The name of the village was changed from Illinois to Marienfeld in 1913, and a short time later, to Loretto. Loretto was named after a city near the Adriatic Sea in Italy which is home to the Santa Casa di Loreto, a shrine believed to be the home of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Also in 1913, the town was platted and lots sold to raise money for the church. By 1916, there were 60 families living in Loretto.
Some maps and other resources mistakenly refer to Loretto as Loretta.
The following Volga German families settled in and around Loretto, Kansas:
Basgall
Breit from Pfeifer
Burgardt
Degenhardt
Depperschmidt from Liebental
Engel
Haas
Hartman from Rothammel
Heronema from Mariental
Her(r)man from Liebental
Hertel from Ober-Monjou
Holzmeister from Pfeifer
Jacobs from Pfeifer
Kuhn
Linenberger
Quint from Louis
Rupp
Schaffer from Liebental
Stegman
Stramel / Stremel
Suppes from Pfeifer
Urban from Kamenka
- Legends of Kansas (Extinct Towns in Rush County)
- Transcript of The Golden Jubilee of German-Russian Settlements of Ellis and Rush Counties, Kansas, 1926.
- Rush County, Kansas (Rush County Economic Development)
- St. Mary's Cemetery (findagrave.com)