Rita M. Cassidy

Rita M. Cassidy died Sunday morning, July 31, 2011 in her New Bavaria home.

Her Legacy … She was born on April 21, 1928 the daughter of Herman and Mary (Brown) Schwab. On August 19, 1950 Rita married Joseph P. Cassidy from Cleveland. She has been a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the Rosary Altar Society for many years. After graduating from Holgate High School, Rita was secretary of the Schwab Brothers Alfalfa Mill in New Bavaria and after her marriage, secretary of the Cassidy Family Nursery and Gardening Center. She was a gentle woman of quiet strength whose strong faith and passion for her family were the focus of her life. The Cassidy home, with Rita at its center, welcomed everyone and was a source of joy and celebration for all who entered. Rita enjoyed working out in her yard especially in the flower gardens. She also loved the beauty of each nights sunset. She and her husband enjoyed traveling the United States with their children and later Europe especially Germany and Ireland.

Rita and her husband Joe had seven children: David (Kathleen) Chicago, Patricia (Geery) Stuart, Sugar Hill, GA, Daniel (Connie), Ottawa, Patrick (Kim), Dayton, Lisa (Peter) Sigmon, Dalton, GA, Kevin (Pamela), VanWert; 23 treasured grandchildren; 1 great granddaughter and a loving sister-in-law, Catherine Cassidy, FL. Rita's husband and son Paul preceded her in death as did her sister Audrey Wing and brothers Alton, Eldred, Francis and Leroy Schwab.

Her Farewell Services … A Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at 10:30 am in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, New Bavaria with Fathers Wenzinger and Bonifas officiating. Friends will be received in the Zachrich Funeral Home, Holgate on Tuesday from 4-8 pm with the rosary being recited at7:30 pm. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made in Rita's honor to the Kidney Foundation and Putnam County Hospice. Online condolences can be left at www.ZachrichFuneralHome.com.

Rita's Prayer for her family and those she loved:

Miss Me, But Let Me Go
When I come to the end of the road, And the sun has set for me,
I want no rites in a gloom filled room. Why cry for a soul set free.
Miss me a little but not too long. And not with your head hung low.
Remember the love we once shared, Miss me - but let me go.
For this is a journey that we all must take, and each must go alone.
It is all part of the Master's plan, a step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick of heart, go to the friends that we know,
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds. Miss but let me go.