Rita Lampe

Rita Mae Lampe, 70, of Jackson passed away Saturday, Aug. 20, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

She was born June 4, 1935, in Belleville, Ill., daughter of Elvira LaBruyere Wehrheim Loftin and Russell Wehrheim. She and Melvin Dean Lampe were married Aug. 2, 1952, in Wichita Falls, Tex.

Rita grew up in Chester, Ill. After Rita and Mel, who was in the Air Force, were married, they were stationed in El Paso, Texas, until employment took them back to Chester and then to Lancaster, Calif., where they were members of Grace Lutheran Church. A brief move to Lexington Park, Md., in 1965 and then back to California in 1967 until their move to O'Fallon, Mo., from 1972 to 1990, where they were members of Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Rita worked as an Avon sales representative and later as a cook for St. Dominic Catholic High School. In 1991, they retired to Whispering Valley Lakes in New Haven, Mo., and there they belonged to Trinity Lutheran Church. Rita and Mel moved to Jackson in June of 2000, and became members of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Rita participated in the Lutheran Women's Missionary League. She was a member of the Chester Red Hatters.

Rita loved being a wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend. The Lord blessed her with an ever hope-filled faith even through sickness, joy-filled laughter and loving service to others. She enjoyed cooking, gardening, crafts and interior decorating.

Loving survivors include a son, Jeff (Veronica) Lampe of St. Ann, Mo.; a daughter, Pam (Randy) Kluesner of Cape Girardeau; a sister, Donna (Bob) Parker of Chester, Ill.; a brother-in-law, Leonard (Arlene) Lampe of Steeleville, Ill.; two sisters-in-law, Loretta (Wayne) Luedeman of Steeleville and Darlene (Danny) Kraft of Houston, Texas; five grandchildren, two nephews and five nieces.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a step parent.

Friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau, and from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Welge-Pechacek Rt. 3 Funeral Home in Chester.

The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Wlge-Pechacek Funeral Home, with the Rev. Paul Short officiating. Burial will immediately follow at Paradise Cemetery in Steeleville, with a fellowship luncheon served afterward at the Presbyterian Church in Chester.

Memorials may be made to Saxony Lutheran High School, American Lung Association, and the American Cancer Society.