Rita Palmer Rita B. Palmer, 95, died March 15, 2013, in Olympia from age- related heart failure. Rita, the seventh of 10 children, was born Dec. 3, 1917, to Wil- liam H. and Ceci- lia R. (Fisch- er) Roth- gery in North Ridgeville, Ohio. She graduated from North Ridgeville High School in 1935. After graduation Rita worked for Elyria Dairies and the Bendix Company. After World War II, Rita and her husband, C.C “Doc” Palmer, load- ed their children and a few possessions in their home-built truck camper and headed west in 1948 for a new life, eventually settling at Schafer State Park on Washington’s Olym- pic Penninsula. They Palmer were later joined in their work and home at the park by Rita’s older brother, Norb Rothgery. Rita served as a volunteer park host and office worker in her husband’s state park district office at Schafer until 1973. She was also active in the community, and took an interest in helping the elderly and sick. She always set a spot at her dinner table for anyone who stopped by the park. After her husband’s death in 1973, Rita studied at Grays Har- bor Community Col- lege. She then went to work at Aberdeen Federal Savings and Loan until retiring at age 69 to care for her brother. In retirement, Rita took joy in time spent with her neigh— bors and grandchildren, bowling with friends, keeping a home open to all and with volunteer activities at Saint Jo- seph’s Catholic parish in Elma. She made her home with her son Stet and daughter-in-law Lynne Palmer for the past seven years. Rita is survived by son Stet (Lynne) Palmer; son-in-law Dean Davis of Bellevue; grandchildren Erika (Joe) Callero of Arroyo Grande, Calif, Lt. Col. Tom (Cathy) Palmer of Goldsboro, N.C., Lt. Col. Adam (Alicia) Palmer of Honolulu, Hawaii, Gregory Roth of Seattle, John (Shan- nan) Roth of Bellevue and Robert (Lynn) Roth of Marysville; nephew Dr. Jerry Roling of Shelton; eight great- grandchildren; and nu— merous friends. Rita was preceded in death by parents William and Cecilia Rothgery; brothers Le- roy, Sylvester, Alfred, Joseph,‘William Robert and Norbert; sisters Rose Ruling and Agnes McDonnell; husband C.C. “Doc” Palmer; and daughter Barbara Davis Rita will be interred next to her husband and daughter at the Satsop Cemetery at 11 a.m. on July 13. This will be fol- lowed by a community picnic at Schafer State Park to honor Rita’s tradition of a commu- nity gathering that she hosted for many years. Contact information: Stet Palmer, 7544 49th Ave. N.W., Olympia, WA 98502, 789-9953, StetPalmer@hotmail. com. See OBITUARIES onpageA-16 , OCR Text: Rita Palmer Rita B. Palmer, 95, died March 15, 2013, in Olympia from age- related heart failure. Rita, the seventh of 10 children, was born Dec. 3, 1917, to Wil- liam H. and Ceci- lia R. (Fisch- er) Roth- gery in North Ridgeville, Ohio. She graduated from North Ridgeville High School in 1935. After graduation Rita worked for Elyria Dairies and the Bendix Company. After World War II, Rita and her husband, C.C “Doc” Palmer, load- ed their children and a few possessions in their home-built truck camper and headed west in 1948 for a new life, eventually settling at Schafer State Park on Washington’s Olym- pic Penninsula. They Palmer were later joined in their work and home at the park by Rita’s older brother, Norb Rothgery. Rita served as a volunteer park host and office worker in her husband’s state park district office at Schafer until 1973. She was also active in the community, and took an interest in helping the elderly and sick. She always set a spot at her dinner table for anyone who stopped by the park. After her husband’s death in 1973, Rita studied at Grays Har- bor Community Col- lege. She then went to work at Aberdeen Federal Savings and Loan until retiring at age 69 to care for her brother. In retirement, Rita took joy in time spent with her neigh— bors and grandchildren, bowling with friends, keeping a home open to all and with volunteer activities at Saint Jo- seph’s Catholic parish in Elma. She made her home with her son Stet and daughter-in-law Lynne Palmer for the past seven years. Rita is survived by son Stet (Lynne) Palmer; son-in-law Dean Davis of Bellevue; grandchildren Erika (Joe) Callero of Arroyo Grande, Calif, Lt. Col. Tom (Cathy) Palmer of Goldsboro, N.C., Lt. Col. Adam (Alicia) Palmer of Honolulu, Hawaii, Gregory Roth of Seattle, John (Shan- nan) Roth of Bellevue and Robert (Lynn) Roth of Marysville; nephew Dr. Jerry Roling of Shelton; eight great- grandchildren; and nu— merous friends. Rita was preceded in death by parents William and Cecilia Rothgery; brothers Le- roy, Sylvester, Alfred, Joseph,‘William Robert and Norbert; sisters Rose Ruling and Agnes McDonnell; husband C.C. “Doc” Palmer; and daughter Barbara Davis Rita will be interred next to her husband and daughter at the Satsop Cemetery at 11 a.m. on July 13. This will be fol- lowed by a community picnic at Schafer State Park to honor Rita’s tradition of a commu- nity gathering that she hosted for many years. Contact information: Stet Palmer, 7544 49th Ave. N.W., Olympia, WA 98502, 789-9953, StetPalmer@hotmail. com. See OBITUARIES onpageA-16 , Mason County Genealogical Society,Obituaries,Other Obituaries,P Last Name,Palmer, Rita B..tif,Palmer, Rita B..tif, Palmer, Rita B..tif