Rita A. Meyer

Rita Agnes Meyer passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 6, 2017, at the Gunnison Valley Health Senior Care Center in Gunnison, Colo. Rita was born on December 25, 1928 in Ashton, Neb. to Stanley and Veronica 'Vernie' (Kwiatkowski) Smedra, and was baptized at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Rockville, Neb. She grew up on farms in and around Ashton, Rockville, and Loup City, Neb., and graduated from High School in Ashton, Neb. On New Year's Eve, 1947 in Grand Island, Neb., on a blind date she met Don Meyer, the man who was the love of her life. They were engaged in December, 1948, and on May 10, 1949 they married at St. Mary's Cathedral in Grand Island. They lived in Omaha after the wedding and later moved to Denver, Colo. In 1961, they adopted their first daughter, Pam, and in 1962, they adopted their second daughter Michele. They lived in Northglenn, Colo. until the fall of 1967 when the family moved to Loup City, Neb. In the fall of 1969, they moved back to Northglenn, Colo. She and Don loved boating, fishing, riding motorcycles and snowmobiles, and spending time at their cabin in Grand Lake She worked for 29 years as a PBX Receptionist at Timpte - a job she loved. In April, 2010, after almost 61 years of marriage, Don unexpectedly passed away, and Rita was devastated by the loss of the love of her life. In 2011, she moved to the Gunnison Valley Senior Care Center. She was a devoted Catholic her entire life and loved dancing, playing bingo, cheating at cards, and making friends wherever she went. She is survived by her daughters Pam and Michele, grandson Rory Magee, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Andy and Lou, sister Mae, and nephew Vern Curtis. Visitation was Wednesday, July 12, from 6-7 p.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Parish in Northglenn, followed by Rosary at 7 p.m. Funeral service was held Thursday, July 13, 10:30 a.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Parish, followed by a light luncheon in the parish hall at 11:30 a.m. Graveside service was held after the luncheon at 1:30 p.m. at Olinger Highland Mortuary Chapel. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the charity of your choice or the Alzheimer's Association https://act.alz.org/site/Donation2?df_id=32112&;32112.donation=form1&. Arrangements under the direction of Olinger Highland Mortuary & Cemetery , Thornton, Colo.