RIVERS, Rita Marie (Hagarty) 1924-2010

RIVERS, HAGARTY, ADDISON

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 11/28/2010 at 16:13:21

CHARLES CITY, IOWA - Rita M. Rivers, 86, formerly of 1903 Salzer St., Charles City, died Friday afternoon, Nov. 26, 2010, at the 11th St. Chautauqua Home.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 29, 2010, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Charles City. Officiating will be the Rev. Carl Ries. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery, Charles City.

Visitation will be from 4 until 8 p.m. today with a parish rosary recited by Pat Hagarty at 5:30 p.m. at Fullerton Hage Funeral Home, 401 Blunt. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at her church on Monday.

Those wishing to consider memorials may wish to donate in Rita's name to Immaculate Conception Church or the Foster Grandparents Program.

Rita Marie was born on March 18, 1924, near Greene, Iowa, in Butler County. She was one of twelve children born to Thomas Anthony and Edna Rose (Addison) Hagarty. She graduated from Floyd High School. She was united in marriage to Dean Rivers and to this union were born six children, four sons and two daughters. She raised her children on the family farm for 38 years and then moved into Charles City. As a stay-at-home mom, she spent an incredible amount of time caring for her children, attending school functions and sporting events. She taught her children how to fish and can fruits and vegetables and her favorite hobby was doing ceramics. Rita also collected owl figurines.

Her life was always wrapped around kids and later in life she spent many many years in the Foster Grandparents program. The second love of her life was being a very active member of Immaculate Conception Church where she was a member of St. Catherine's Circle. One of her fondest memories was traveling to Ireland with her son.

Those thankful and blessed to be a part of Rita's life are her six living children: Ronald Rivers, Nashua, Edna Rivers, Winthrup, Gary and Sue Rivers, Kiel, Wis., Roger Hagarty, Seattle, Wash., Ken and Sandi Rivers, Eddyville, Iowa, Teresa Rivers, Waverly; 19 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren; three sisters, Leone (Eddy) Burkhardt and Eileen Burkhardt all of Charles City; and Kathleen Lambert, Waterloo.

Her parents, one grandson, Brett; four sisters, Ardith Ochs, Agnes Harrington, Esther Smith, and Ruth Huffman, along with four brothers, James, Burr, Louis, and Leland Hagarty preceded her in death.

Fullerton Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 401 Blunt Street, Charles City, 641-228-4211, www.fullertonfh.com.

[ Globe Gazette, November 28, 2010 ]