Connie Lee Lortie, age 71, of Cromwell, IN passed away at 10:53 pm on Friday, September 6, 2019 at Parkview Regional Hospital in Fort Wayne, IN. She was born on December 20, 1947 the daughter of Wayne and Shirley (Kalb) Reed at Lucky Hospital in Wolf Lake, IN. On May 24, 1969, she married Carl J. Lortie at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Ligonier, IN.
She is survived by her husband of fifty years, Carl Lortie of Cromwell, IN; two children, Julia Ann (Michael) Crossley of Ligonier, IN and Michael Wayne (Jennifer) Lortie of Albion, IN; three grandchildren, Courtney Nicole Crossley, Andrew Michael Crossley, and Addison Mae Lortie; her mother, Shirley Reed of Ligonier, IN; along with a large extended family of Lorties. She was preceded in death by her father, Wayne L. Reed in 2015.
Connie graduated from Cromwell High School in 1966 and was a beautician by trade in her younger years. She later worked for several years at Hooks Drugs, managing several stores for them. Connie then worked at IS Wear in Ligonier, and eventually retired from Helena Chemical in Millersburg. Over the years, Connie also enjoyed working as a tour guide for Menno Travel in Goshen and S & S Travel in Kendallville. Connie was a member of St. Martin De Porres Catholic Church in Syracuse, IN, the Noble County Extension Homemakers and was part of the Chatter Bells. She was a former Noble County 4-H Leader and proved that city girls could farm for 16 years with her husband in Kendallville. Connie also loved to cook, read, knit, garden, watch birds from her front porch, and travel whenever she got the chance.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday September 11, 2019 at 11 am at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church,
2290 IN-9, Albion, IN 46701. Father J. Steele, CSC will officiate. Burial will follow at Sparta Cemetery in Kimmell, IN.
Family and friends will be received from 2-8 pm on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at Yeager Funeral Home, 1589 Lincolnway South; Ligonier, IN 46767 and also one hour prior to the mass on Wednesday at the church.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the Cromwell High School Alumni Scholarship Fund, c/o Noble County Community Foundation, 1599 Lincolnway South, Ligonier, IN 46767.
