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Obituary for Rita Wilson
Rita Agnes (Carey) Wilson was born August 21, 1925, to James and Ruth (Farrell) Carey on a farm near Menlo, Iowa, and died peacefully January 19, 2022, at Community Care Center in Stuart.
Rita attended grade school in Menlo until she was 9, at which point she moved to Stuart with her mother and five siblings after her father was struck and killed by lightning. She went to St. Mary’s Catholic school through eighth grade and graduated from Stuart High School in 1943.
After high school she worked at a local attorney’s office, then at Allied Mutual Insurance in Des Moines.
Rita married Robert Wilson on June 6, 1946, after he returned from serving in the Navy in World War II. They moved to a farm north of Stuart the day they were married, where they began to raise their family of six children. In 1963 the family moved up the road to his parents’ farm, where they lived until Bob’s death in 2009; Rita then moved into town.
Rita’s greatest joy was family – especially her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. She was always involved with her children’s activities as they were growing up.
She treasured her Catholic faith and was a lifelong member of All Saints Catholic Church. She was active with the Catholic Daughters and Altar and Rosary as well as the American Legion Auxiliary.
Rita enjoyed sewing and working in her flower garden, and the vegetable garden she tended with Bob kept everyone well-fed. Their freezer was always full and the cellar was crowded with rows and rows of canned goods. Even if you arrived unannounced, she would have a wonderful meal on the table in 10 minutes.
She had a wealth of family history knowledge, which she documented for future generations. In later years she was brave enough to get a computer and liked keeping up with her family and friends through emails and social media.
Rita will live on for all who loved her in their special memories of her life well-lived. She left her family prepared, but not ready, to continue their lives without her, and will be greatly missed.
She was preceded in death by Robert, her husband of 63 years; her parents; sisters Helen Bedore, Kathleen Turenne and Regina Antrim; and brothers Donald Carey and Richard Carey.
Rita is survived by her sister Norine Marlowe; her children Phyllis (Roy) Irish; Steve (Jean) Wilson; Paul (Debbie) Wilson; John (Roni) Wilson; Barbara (Guy) Hayden; and Kathy (Robert) Zenner; as well as nine grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great-grandchildren.
Mass will be held at the All Saints Catholic Church in Stuart on Tuesday, January 25th at 11 A.M. The mass will be live-streamed on the Johnson Family Funeral Home Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/JohnsonFamilyFH). Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Burial will be held at a later date at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Stuart. Memorial contributions may be directed in Rita’s name to All Saints Catholic Church and/or St. Croix Hospice. Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com.
