Rita Easterwood

Rita A Easterwood, 93, of Lafayette, IN died at Creasy Springs Health Campus on August 9th, 2016 at 8:59 PM. Born October 28, 1922 in Lafayette, she was the daughter of the late George Francis Klinker and Alice Kearney Klinker. She was a lifelong resident of Lafayette, attended St Ann Grade School and graduated from St Francis High School and in violin from St Francis School of Music in 1940. She married David J. Easterwood at St Ann Catholic Church in 1948. She later became a member of St Mary Cathedral where she was active in the Mothers Club, Altar Rosary Society and The Ladies of Charity. She was also a member of The Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Tippecanoe County Right to Life, Knights of Columbus Ladies, The Memorial Day Association and St. Elizabeth Hospital Auxiliary. She worked as a secretary at St. Mary Cathedral and retired from Purdue University after 25 years in 1996. She was a 25 year member of the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra. She played the violin for many occasions in Lafayette and was accompanied by her sister, Mary Hession. Surviving are two children Joseph A. Easterwood (wife Sandy) of Hertford, NC and Mary R. FitzSimons of Lafayette. Also surviving are granddaughter, Krista M FitzSimons Haubner (husband Larry) of Liberty Township, OH. Three step-granddaughters, Dawn Miller, Katherine Wolf (husband Mark) and Jennifer Burrell (husband Dan) all of Maryland and Northern Virginia. Seven great-grandchildren – James, Jayne and Jenna Haubner, Rachel and Hunter Wolf, and Jack and Sara Burrell. She was preceded in death by her husband, David on April 18, 2008, her brother Fr. Joseph Klinker and her three sisters, Mary Hession (husband Leo), Rose Emge (husband Leo), and Ann Plaster (husband Robert). Visitation is Sunday from 3-6 PM with rosary at 5:45 at Hahn-Groeber Funeral Home, 1104 Columbia Street, Lafayette. The Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:00 AM at St Mary Cathedral with Fr George Plaster, her nephew, as celebrant. The interment will follow in St Mary Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to St Mary Cathedral. Condolences and memories may be left a www.hahngroeberfuneralhome.com