Obituaries : Rita M. Kelty

Rita M. Kelty

URBANA: Rita M. Kelty, 74, died Friday, January 21, 2011 at the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha after a courageous battle with cancer.

A Mass Of Christian Burial will be held at 11 AM, Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Urbana. Interment will be held St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery near Urbana. Visitation will also be held at the church from 4 to 7 PM on Monday where a Scripture Service will begin at 7 PM.

Rita was born May 20, 1936 near Walker to Charles E. and Dolores (Lyness) Zieser and graduated from the Urbana High School in 1954. She later attended Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids.

On June 28, 1955, she was united in marriage to Richard L. Kelty at the original St. Mary's Catholic Church near Urbana. While Richard served his nation in the US Army, the couple lived and raised their six children in several areas of the country. But where ever they resided their home was a place filled with kindness, good humor and lots of love. Rita was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grand mother.

Rita was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church where she served as church organist for thirty-five years and was a member of the Altar & Rosary Society. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit #264 of Urbana, and earned praise for her chocolate cake and heath bars.

Her memory will be cherished by her husband, Richard; her children, Mark (Linda) Kelty, Dave (Donna) Kelty, Brett (Loraine) Kelty, Shannon (Karie) Kelty, Lori (Lonnie) Williams, and Sean (Sue) Kelty, all of Urbana; and her seventeen grandchildren and three great grand-children.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

A memorial fund has been established for the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy.

Condolences may be left at: www.phillipsfuneralhomes.com