Rita Lally

Rita Mae Kelly Lally was born December 10, 1921, the daughter of Clarence and Grace Dieter Kelly. She died Sunday, January 30, 2011, at the Reed House in Denison, Iowa at the age of eighty-nine.
Rita was born in Emerson, Nebraska, and graduated from Vail High School with the class of 1939. She worked in Denison until she married T. Joseph Lally on June 7, 1944, in Jacksonville, Florida.
Rita and Joe made their living on the farm south of Vail and were blessed with two sons and four daughters.
Ritas faith and family were important to her. She spent her life sewing, baking, gardening, tatting, driving her children to and from all their many activities, and teaching them all to drive the tractors and cars. She especially loved to have her grandchildren and great-grandchildren around her. The neighborhood Rosary Group and the Good Time Card Club were important parts of her life. The older members of the Card Club were known as the "Lion Tamers."
She was a member of St. Anns Parish and Altar Society, Legion of Mary, Legion Auxiliary, 4-H Leader, Extension Council board member, CYO Director, and was head of funeral dinners for many years.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers: Howard Kelly and his wife, Earleen; and Robert Kelly; two sisters: Helen Crane and her husband, Les; and Sister Mary Clare Kelly; her in-laws: Jane Marie and Elmer Thompson; Regina Lally; Catherine and John Lawler; Ed Pribyl; and Martin Lally.
She is survived by her husband Joe; four daughters: Kate; CJ and her husband, Sid; Janeen; and Mary Pat and her husband Bob; two sons: Dan and his wife, Ruth; and Dick and his wife, Diane; 23 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law: Dorherty; Helen and her husband, Bob; Theresa and her husband, Jim; and Mary; one brother-in-law John Jr.; numerous relatives and friends.