Rita Graham

Rita Graham, 97, of rural Marseilles, Illinois passed away Saturday, January 2, 2016 at her home.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at noon on Thursday, January 7, 2016 at St. Columba Church with Rev. David Kipfer officiating. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. to noon at the church. Burial will follow in St. Columba Cemetery. The Ottawa Funeral Home is entrusted with the services.

Rita was born September 3, 1918 in Winnebago, Minnesota to Charles and Agnes (Cahill) Schwamberger. She married Francis "Fritz" Graham on June 5, 1941 at St. Patrick's Church in Arlington, Illinois. He died July 16, 2000.

Rita was a teacher, and taught at the New Berlin one room school house and then at the Grand Ridge Grade School. She was a member of St. Columba Church and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.

She is survived by two daughters, Karen (James) Johnson of Henry, Mary (Kenneth) Johnson of Chillicothe; two sons, Michael (Liz) Graham of Ottawa, and David (Jane) Graham of Marseilles; fifteen grandchildren, Christine, Jayme, Nathan, Melinda, Troy, Michelle, Jill, Kate, Terri, Luke, Bridget, Matthew, Alison, Jennifer, and Brendan; twenty-five great-grandchildren; two daughters-in-law, Judy Graham-Rowe and Patricia Graham; two sisters, Vivian Yaklich and Teresa Hunter; her special friends Leah June Riebe, and Mary Hettel; and her caregiver, Lyubov Tkalych.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, two sons, Dennis and Lorin Graham; one grandson, Kenneth Johnson; one sister, Monica Dwyer; and three brothers, Jerome "Bob", Leo, and Bernard Schwamberger.

Pallbearers will be her grandchildren.

Memorials may be directed to St. Columba Church Building Fund, Marseilles Library, or the Multiple Sclerosis Society.