Rita B. Schwartz

Rita B. Schwartz, 96, of St. Libory, died Monday, Jan. 13, 2020, at Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph, MO. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Libory's Catholic Church in St. Libory. The Rev. Sidney Bruggeman will celebrate the Mass. Burial will be in the parish cemetery. Visitation will be Monday from 9 a.m. Until service time, with a 9:30 a.m. Rosary, all at the church. Peters Funeral Home of St. Paul is assisting the family. Rita was born on Sept. 7, 1923, at Vivian, S.D. , the daughter of Adolph and Apolonia (Schulte) Regennitter. She received her education and graduated from Vivian High School in 1942. She then attended Notre Dame Junior College in Mitchell, S.D. And later Kearney State College. She then taught in rural schools in the Vivian area. She was united in marriage to Raymond F. Schwartz on May 28, 1946, in Vivian. The couple first lived in Presho, S.D., later moving to Chamberlain, S.D. for 10 years. In Dec. 1959, the family moved to St. Libory. She continued to teach in Howard County rural schools, later teaching in the Grand Island Public Schools. She served as Principal, splitting time between Shoemaker and Jefferson Elementary Schools. She retired from teaching in 1988. After Raymond's death on May 10, 2003, she continued to live the rest of her life in St. Libory. Rita was a member of St. Libory's Catholic Church and its Council of Catholic Women. She was also a member of the Grand Generation Center in Grand Island and a long time member of Teacher's Associations. She loved crocheting and made numerous afghans for all her family. She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Virginia “Jean” and David Merten of St. Joseph, MO; two sons and one daughter-in-law, Robert Schwartz of Erie, CO and Kenneth and Donna Schwartz of Dayton, OH; four grandchildren, Matthew and Sarah Merten and Christine and Eric Patton, all of St. Joseph, MO and Caitlin Schwartz and Alexandra Leeper, both of New York City; and three great-grandchildren, Mason Merten, Taylor Patton and Dylan Patton. In addition to her husband, Raymond, she was preceded in death by her parents; five sisters, Marie Kotz, Grace Frederickson, Phyllis Mannhalter, Marguerite Giedd and Esther Muldoon; and three brothers, Ralph, Donald, and infant Francis Regennitter. Memorials are suggested to St. Libory's Catholic Church.