Rita Lee Mitchem, 87, of Marietta, died Sunday, February 1, 2009, following a long illness, at Marietta Center for Health and Rehabilitation, where she had resided since December of 1999. She was born October 9, 1921 in Weston, WV to Lee and Mary Plunkett Stark. She went to nursing school at St. Joseph's Hospital in Parkersburg, WV, and worked at St. Joseph's and Marietta Memorial hospitals, then went into private duty nursing for over thirty years. She was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church, Marietta, and the Catholic Woman's Club. Rita loved to cook, crochet, read, garden, work with her flowers, and especially enjoyed spending time with her family. She is survived by three daughters, Rosalie McDonald (Charles) of Belpre, Agnes Hawkins (Jonathan) of Marietta and Mary Jane Mitchem of Spencer, WV; three sons, John Mitchem (Mara), Jerry Mitchem (Myla) and Joe Mitchem (Sally), all of Marietta; a brother, Charles Stark (Barbara) of Charleston, WV; two sisters, Brentice Garton of Alum Bridge, WV and Helen Droppleman of Weirton, WV; twenty grandchildren; 36 great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Howard Mitchem, on June 5, 1995, they had been married on November 4, 1942; also by a brother, Joseph Stark; two sisters, Agnes Maloney and Catherine Johnston, and a great granddaughter, Meredith Marie White. Funeral Liturgy, with Mass, will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 10:00 a.m., with the Rev. John Michael Campbell as celebrant. Friends may call at the Marietta Chapel of Cawley & Peoples Funeral Home on Tuesday, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., where there will be a Vigil Service at 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Burial will be at Tunnel Cemetery. Donations may be made to the O'Neill Senior Center, 333 Fourth St., Marietta, OH 45750, or to the Solana/Lighthouse Unit at Marietta Nursing & Rehab, c/o Brenda Truex 117 Bartlett Street, Marietta, Ohio 45750, and make the check payable to Brenda Truex. Cawley & Peoples Funeral Homes offers online condolences, by visiting their website, www.cawleyandpeoples.com
