Rita Catherine Schimmer

Funeral services for Rita C. Schimmer, age 94, of Custer City, will be 1:00 Tuesday, July 5, 2022 at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Clinton with Father Balaswamy officiating, and under the direction of the Kiesau Lee Funeral Home. Burial will follow in the Custer City Masonic Cemetery. Rita was born March 31, 1928, to Adolph Marion and Mary Theresa (Neyens) Klein on parents’ farm ten miles northwest of Custer City in what was known as the Anthon Community; grew up there with widowed mother and two brothers. A 1946 graduate of Independence High School seven miles north of Custer City; attended what is now Southwestern Oklahoma State University 1946-1947, taking a business course. Rita worked for the Custer County Department of Public Welfare (now Department of Human Services) in Clinton until marriage on October 19, 1948, to John “LeRoy” Schimmer at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Clinton, OK. At that time, it was not economically feasible to commute to and from employment as we resided five miles northwest of Custer City on a farm known as the Tom Ross Place. Continued to reside on the Family farm for 73 years until death on June 30, 2022 In 1969, when her youngest of three sons was thirteen and commuting had become commonplace, she went to work in Clinton for Florence Hays with H.&R. Block Income Tax service; then she went to work again for the Custer County Department of Human Services for 25 years, retiring as county administrator’s secretary and clerical supervisor shortly before LeRoy’s death in March 1993. She was a member of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church, she enjoyed yard/garden/orchard, canning and giving fresh produce to family and friends; also, genealogy, having traced family history as far back as the early 1700’s; reading, collecting inspirational and poetry books; going on short bus tours; and making scrapbooks- three S’s one each about farming (Sentimental), funny articles (Silly), and spirituality (Serious). Rita was preceded by her husband, both parents, brothers Clements and Lawrence Klein, and son Mike. She is survived by two sons and their wives, Daughter in law Deborah of Yukon, Kenneth James and his wife Patty, Monte Mark and his wife Sandra, both of Custer City area, five grandchildren, Jason Schimmer and his wife Sarah of Houston, Paul Schimmer of Yukon, Scott Potter of Oklahoma City, Emma Potter of Edmond, Alana Tetrick and her husband Ted of Edmond, J.T. Schimmer of Grand Junction, nine great grandchildren, Tucker, Ella, Isabella, Clara, Madeleine, Cora, Henry, Arieana, and Ford, one niece and her husband Margaret and Shirl Landrum of Weatherford.