Rita Graf

VIEW MEMORIAL TRIBUTERita Helen Graf passed away on Saturday April 18 2009 with her family by her side. Rita was born on April 10 1922 in Akron Ohio. She was a graduate of St. Vincent High School and Mercyhurst College in Pennsylvania. Rita's life was filled with positive attitude courage an innate sense of humor and an unwavering faith in God. Rita's personality made such an impression on everyone she met which made it easy to remember her and made her even harder to forget. Rita was preceded in death by her father Lewis Botzum and mother Helen Botzum Hilkert; brothers Thomas Botzum Rev. Fr. Robert Hilkert and Rev. Fr. John Hilkert; sisters Rose (Ochsenhirt) Mary (Hendrickson); nephew Tom Botzum niece Terry (Ochsenhirt) Isoma all from Akron and her daughter-in-law JoAnn (Bebb) Graf from Dayton OH. Rita dedicated herself to her husband Fritz 10 children 17 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Rita is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 62 years; sister Mary Lou (Botzum) Davis brother William (Mary Louise) Hilkert sister-in-law Ramona Botzum and sons Dennis (Judy) Lawrence (Margret) John (Christine) Albert (Susan) and Paul (Victoria); daughters Judith (Ron) Piekarski Mary Kase Martha (Jim) Thomas Helen and Kathie. Grandsons Kevin (Elizabeth) Fritz Jonathan Jeffrey and Joseph Graf Jason and Nicholas Thomas; granddaughters Kimberly (John) Schimpf Dawn (Jason) Morris Rachael (Dan) Austen Emily (Tom) Brown Kelly and Courtney Kase and Heidi Erin Alexa and Avery Graf; great-grandsons Justin and Matthew Schimpf Benjamin Graf and great-granddaughter Lauren Schimpf. Rita volunteered at St. Thomas and Akron Children's Hospitals for twenty years. She brought joy and laughter to both the families and the staff and who was more qualified to care for the infants than this mother of 10 children! She surely loved all her crumb- snatchers! She will always be remembered as the life of the party along with telling her jokes and playing tricks! Thanks Mom for always making us laugh! Mass of Christian burial will be Wednesday April 22 at 10:00am at St. Sebastian Catholic Church. Interment will be in Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman Ohio. Friends may call on Tuesday April 21 from 4:00 - 8:00 at Hummel Funeral Home 500 E. Exchange St. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the St. Vincent-St. Mary High School Scholarship Fund.