Annette Mae Lozano

Annette Mae Lozano was born July 3, 1947, in Wagner SD, the daughter of Joseph and Myrtle Smejkal, and was baptized Aug. 17, 1947, at the Wagner Presbyterian Church. She died on March 23, 2025, at home, attended by her husband, Leo. Annette had attained the age of 77 years, 8 months, and 19 days.

Annette was the oldest of 5 living children born to Joe and Myrtle. She completed grade school in Wagner then attended high school at Sunshine Bible Academy near Miller, SD, graduating in 1965. She attended a vocational program in Ohio for key punch operator training. She met William Moody and they married in June 1968, and lived in Rapid City and later, Box Elder, SD. Two children were born to their union before the couple separated and later divorced.

In 1976, Annette met the love of her life, Leobardo R. Lozano, Jr. while working at the Dining Facility on Ellsworth AFB, SD. Leo and Annette were married on July 9, 1977, in Premont, TX. Shortly after the wedding, Leo left for his assignment to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Annette and the children joined Leo in Germany at Thanksgiving that year, where they lived until June 1983. While living in Germany, Annette cleaned dorms on the base then later worked at a small plastics factory in a town near the base. She loved traveling around their host country, as well as to Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Holland, and Czechoslovakia. Their next assignment took them to Eielson AFB, Alaska.

In Alaska, Annette worked for a bus company, driving school bus for most of the 8 years they lived there, plus shuttle bus for fire crews battling forest fires, and as a tour bus driver at Denali National Park. She enjoyed traveling around the state, the abundant wildlife, camping and fishing with her family. Even after Leo and Annette moved to Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, they would return to Alaska for several more summers to live and work.

In Las Vegas, Annette drove bus for Las Vegas Transit and then RTC. Later she worked for several casinos including The Sands, the MGM, and the Monte Carlo, retiring from her retail/customer service position at the Monte Carlo in 2012.

Annette made friends wherever she would go and had a heart for serving others. She was proud to be the daughter of a farmer, a wife, a mother, a grandmother and great-grandmother, to serve as "Auntie Annette" or “Tía" to many neighborhood children, and to lavish love on her rescue fur babies. Even with all these roles, her life-long identity as a child of God was perhaps her most cherished. She believed in the forgiveness of sins granted her and all believers through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and lived in hope and anticipation of life eternal in heaven and being reunited there with loved ones who preceded her.

Annette is survived by her husband Leo; her daughter Corlette (Steve) Trautman of Moorhead, MN; her son Joseph Lozano (Jennifer) of Las Vegas, NV; her granddaughters Rachael (Chuck) Wendlick and Rebecca (Eric) Souer; great-grandsons, Oliver, Theo, and Felix Wendlick; brothers Keith (Carol) and Larry (Cheryl) Smejkal; sister Cheryl (Steve) Hairgrove; many nieces, nephews, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her sister Carmen Hahn.

In lieu of flowers or memorials given to her family, please consider a donation in her memory to a cause Annette passionately supported: St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, the ASPCA, or a local animal rescue organization.