Rita Mary Kolker

Feb. 17, 1915 —  Oct. 5, 2008

MONTROSE — Rita Mary Kolker, age 93, died Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008 at Valley Manor Care Center in Montrose, Colo. She was born Feb. 17, 1915, to Charles Kashmir and Mary (Ulrich) Litkowski, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Rita met and married Carl Herman Kolker July 11, 1936 in Dayton, Ohio. They were married 61 years and resided in Ohio and Michigan throughout their lives. She was a devout Catholic.

Rita is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Carl, and daughter-in-law Mary Lou (Lawrence) Kolker, and survived by her seven children, Carl Raymond (Kumsil) Kolker, San Diego, Calif.; William (Kari) Kolker, Auburn, Ind.; James (Sharon) Kolker, Muskegon, Mich.; Constance (Connie) Kolker, Montrose, Colo.; Janice (David) Desabrais, Casselberry, Fla.; Lawrence Kolker, Muskegon, Mich.; and Donna (Thomas) Patterson, Rapid City, S.D.; 20 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren, five great great-grandchildren, and 17 nieces and nephews.

Since Rita’s stroke in 1997, she has resided at nursing homes in Michigan, Indiana and finally in Montrose, Colo. near the home of her daughter, Connie Kolker. Prior to this time, she lived with her husband, Carl, in Deltona, Fla. where she was an avid bowler and golfer, and loved meeting with numerous friends at the Go-For-Donuts shop. She loved her puzzles, too. Before this, she and Carl worked and made their home with their seven children in Dayton, Ohio, and East Jordan, Charlevoix and Muskegon, Mich. Rita had various jobs throughout her life, plus she worked for Sears, finally retiring as a bookkeeper from Textron-CWC, Muskegon, Mich. in 1977.

She and Carl loved to travel, visiting their children in California, Colorado, Michigan, Florida and her daughter Donna while stationed in the Air Force in Germany. Rita had a wonderful dry, quick wit and sense of humor made the better with her mischievous, sparkling brown eyes. She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by her far-flung family and friends.

Cremation has taken place and a memorial Mass will be celebrated for Rita at St. Daniel’s Church in Ouray, Colo., at 5 p.m., Oct. 14, 2008, with final services in Grand Haven, Mich. in the Spring of 2009. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Hospice of Western Colorado, P.O. Box 1804, Montrose, CO 81402.

Arrangements are under the direction of Crippin Funeral Home, 802 E. Main St., Montrose, CO 81401 (970) 249-2121.