While the children were growing, Loreda became involved in “Women’s Aglow,” a Christian interdenominational organization, which took her to many conventions around the world. One memorable one took her to Niagara Falls in 1981, and the negative ions at the falls actually cured her asthma, which had plagued her for years. One of her biggest thrills was to visit the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. and view the original Star-Spangled Banner.Loreda and her husband were also privileged to go to Rome, where they saw the Pope; Hawaii, to visit the Pearl Harbor memorial; and to Oklahoma City for the dedication of the memorial after the horrible bombing which killed so many people. They have also traveled to Austria and Spain.Loreda served her church, the Assembly of God, as president of the Women’s Ministry. On one of their trips, this time to Israel, Loreda took slides and has been able to share her traveling experiences with a color/slide presentation to many churches and schools in the Tulare area.Loreda and Jerry will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary in November, and will be making a trip to Colgate, Oklahoma to view the Clouser Sutton Memorial Bridge, named for her brother lost at Okinawa. Earlier this year, they look forward to seeing many SPUHS friends at her class reunion, to be held on September 27 at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Ventura.
Loreda Sutton Hope, Class of 1943
September 12, 2003
Santa Paula High School
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By B. J. Harding, President, SPUHS Alumni Association
Biography #223 (Have you submitted yours?)Born in Colgate, Oklahoma to Avery and Martha Sutton, Loreda was the youngest of the four children; Clouser, Johnny and Lorene were her siblings. This family lived on a small farm, and when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941 the family’s lives were changed forever. Clouser got married and he and his wife moved to Paso Robles. Avery found work at the Limoneira Company and moved the rest of his family to Santa Paula. Clouser joined the Army and was sent to Okinawa, where he was killed in the line of duty May 4, 1945.Loreda transferred from Colgate High to Santa Paula High School, where she took history from Rhe Nelson. Her girl pals at school were Pauline (‘45) and Tommy Jean Davis (‘44), Arvella Dorsey (‘43), Billie Garret (‘45) and Billajean Cole (‘45).Following graduation, Loreda got a job at Limoneira working in the packinghouse. It was here that she met her husband, Jerry Hope.Jerry joined the Army and spent the duration of the war in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. On his discharge from the Army they moved to Tulare, California, where they bought their first home and decided to start a family. Jerry got a job as an insurance agent for American General, and Loreda became a stay-at-home mom raising their two daughters, Benita and Colleen.When grown, Benita became a security supervisor for Boeing Aircraft until her retirement, and Colleen married and became a mother and teacher at a Tulare Christian school. Jerry is now a funeral director for Peers-Lorentzen Funeral Service in Tulare, and also preaches in their church and for funeral services when needed.
