Rita M. Schmitt Niederriter

Beloved Wife, Mother and Grandma

Rita M. Schmitt Niederriter, age 91, of Erie, passed away on Sunday, December 20, 2015, at St. Mary's Home, East.

Rita was born April 23, 1924, to the late Oscar and Anna Mae Schmitt. She was the youngest of three children, the late Mary Anna Schmitt Young being the oldest, the late William Schmitt being the middle child, and then Rita. She was a graduate of Villa Maria Academy.

Rita married Charles Niederriter on September 14, 1946, and started a family that includes Barb Klein of Rough Rock, Ariz., Joni Blackman of Erie, Nancy Buckleitner of St. Joseph, Mich., Charles Neiderriter (Deb Shenk) of St. Peter, Minn. and Ann Meyer (Ray) of Warfordsburg, Pa. She was also the proud grandmother of 15 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Rita was a member of St. Joseph Church / Bread of Life Community. She loved having her family around, and could be found in the kitchen baking cookies and sweet rolls and her amazing cimmakuchen in preparation of family coming in. She loved to travel, and visited parts of the country with Chuck, but her favorite destinations always took her to her family.

When she wasn't traveling or baking, you could find Rita sitting on the couch, knitting needles in hand, creating afghans or mittens for everyone in the family. Friday nights were spent with Chuck and numerous friends, sitting around the dining room table, playing cards. Rita loved spending time at the family property in Edinboro. She and Chuck would spend winters snowmobiling the property or just sitting and watching the birds come to the bird-feeder; summers were spent on the back of a John Deere tractor, mowing the paths and backyard.

Friends may call on Thursday at St. Mary's Home, East from 11 a.m. until the time of the Funeral Mass at 1 p.m. Send condolences to www.kloeckerfuneralhome.com

Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. The Francis V. Kloecker Funeral Home, Inc. is in charge of arrangements.

The Niederriter family would like to extend our gratitude to all the staff at St. Mary's Home for their attentiveness and loving care.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Rita's name at the Second Harvest Food Bank.

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