Rita Margaret Qualey

SHERMAN - Rita Margaret (Rush) Qualey 87, died Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011, in Bangor, surrounded by her family after a short illness. She was born Jan. 13, 1924, in Benedicta, to Ralph and Anna (O'Leary) Rush. She was the third of 11 children and graduated from St. Benedict's High School in 1942. She went to nursing school at "The Madigan," Madigan Memorial Hospital, Houlton, and graduated in 1945. She loved her nursing career and used her nursing skills all her life. She was frequently called on to give care and nursing support to area families. Rita married Arthur William Qualey, July 2, 1949, and they spent the next 50-plus years cultivating their dairy and potato farms in the Sherman area and teaching their nine children many important life values which she was very proud to say her children carried on to their own children today. Mom was famous for her baking and seamstress work, especially her raisin oatmeal bread, her cinnamon rolls, her quilts and her braided rugs. She was a leader in 4-H, active in St. Joseph and St. Benedict's sodalities and in Cooperative Extension work in the '70s and '80s. Her most gifted treasure to us all was her ability to make you feel special and to feel at home whenever you visited her and dad. She did love visitors and family gatherings at her home, at her children's homes and at her church. Her Catholic faith was her rock and she would frequently say the rosary with us and let us know that anytime we needed direction or if we were struggling for any reason, she would encourage us to pray for the answer. She was blessed with many friends in her life and she taught us how important it was to nurture friendships and how important family is in our lives. Rita was predeceased by her husband; her parents; and seven of her siblings, John Rush, James Rush, Herbert Rush, Henry Rush, Albert Rush, Gerard Rush and Valeria (Rush) Douston. She is survived by three siblings and their spouses, Catherine (Rush) Yaconiello and her husband, William, Harold and his wife, Janet, and Jerome and his wife, Barbara; her nine children and their children, Anna Robinson and her husband, William, and their daughters, Charity Goller, Amanda Hancock and Abigail Robinson; Bridget Qualey and her husband, Richard Stetson, and their daughters, Emily Qualey and Saphrona Stetson; Andrea Edwards and her husband, Steven, and their sons, Andrew Edwards and Logan Edwards; John Qualey and his wife, Patricia, and their children, James Spencer, Jason Qualey, Jesse Qualey, Joshua Qualey and Katie Qualey; Helen McKinnon and her husband, Andrew, and their sons, Ian McKinnon, Devon McKinnon and Regan McKinnon; Thomas Qualey and his wife, Linda McGee, and their children, Meagan McGee and Erin Forsyth; Margaret Qualey and her husband, Peter Drury, and their children, William Drury and Eliza Drury; Elizabeth Young and her husband, Russell, and their daughters, Hannah Young and Molly Young; and Kathleen Bates and her husband, Ronald, and their children, Abraham Bates, Amy Bates and Lucas Bates. She loved each and every grandchild and her 11 great-grandchildren. Rita was cherished by all family and friends and she will be missed very much. Heaven has gained an angel. The family invites all who knew and loved Rita to visiting hours 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, at St. Benedict's Catholic Church, Benedicta, where a Mass of Christian burial will be 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 8. Burial will be at St. Benedict's Cemetery. All are invited to a luncheon at St. Benedict's school hall immediately after the burial. Rita requested all memorial contributions be made to St. Benedict's Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 51, Benedicta, ME 04733. To leave online condolences and to sign a guest book, please visit www.bowersfuneral.com.