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Rita Catherine Tooill Messerly

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Birth	:	10 Sep 1936
Death	:	10 Jun 2022
Burial	:	Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery, Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate	:	39.6903000, -82.6031036
Description	:	Rita Catherine Tooill is the daughter of John Robert Tooill and Celestia Clara Shaw. _________________________________________________ OBITUARY Rita Catherine (Tooill) Messerly, 85 of Lancaster, passed away peacefully and surrounded by loved ones at her residence on June 10, 2022. She was born September 10, 1936, in Hocking Township at the home of her parents, the late John Robert and Celestia Clara (Shaw) Tooill. Rita was a lifelong member of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish and a 1954 graduate of St. Mary High School. On September 14, 1957, she married the love of her life, Hugh Patrick Messerly ("Pat")... Read More	Rita Catherine Tooill is the daughter of John Robert Tooill and Celestia Clara Shaw. _________________________________________________ OBITUARY Rita Catherine (Tooill) Messerly, 85 of Lancaster, passed away peacefully and surrounded by loved ones at her residence on June 10, 2022. She was born September 10, 1936, in Hocking Township at the home of her parents, the late John Robert and Celestia Clara (Shaw) Tooill. Rita was a lifelong member of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish and a 1954 graduate of St. Mary High School. On September 14, 1957, she married the love of her life, Hugh Patrick Messerly ("Pat") and they were married until his passing on February 20, 2016. Her life was irrevocably changed when, at age 11, she became a primary care giver for her 8 siblings, after her mother's untimely passing. Upon graduating from St. Mary, she was asked to become a teacher at St. Mary Elementary School by Sister Charlene. To prepare her for this position, she received six weeks of training during the summer of 1954 at the College of St. Mary of the Springs. She began teaching third grade that fall while still just 17 years old. Many of Rita's former students still live in the Lancaster area, and many of them still share fond memories of her. The Dominican Sisters at St. Mary's clearly saw that she was mature beyond her years and that she had the patience and demeanor to manage a classroom of 50 students. In the fall of 1957, Rita gave up teaching elementary school and went on to be an amazing wife and mother. A devout Catholic, her family and faith were essential parts of her life. Daily homemade family meals, nightly family prayers, spending time with her extended family and friends, and volunteering and participating in countless parish, school and community functions was a way of life for Rita and Pat. An excellent cook and baker, Rita especially enjoyed sharing her knowledge in the kitchen with her children and grandchildren, culminating in assembling the family cookbook "Messipes." She learned the valuable lessons of how to stretch a dollar and how to keep order in a household while helping to raise her siblings and these lessons served her well when she raised her own children. For many years, Rita and her sister Mary Ellen involved all their children in raising a garden as well as with freezing and canning fruits and vegetables and cleaning chickens. This not only provided food throughout the years for their families, but also taught the children the value of hard work and the enjoyment and rewards that come from it (including homemade ice cream and annual garden parties at the Fox Dairy Farm). Rita and Pat always gave of themselves freely to help whenever and wherever needed, especially when it came to caring for their children and grandchildren. It seems that Rita was driven to care for and teach children her entire life. So much so, that as her children grew and started their own families, she helped provide care for her grandchildren and other children from families that needed assistance. As an encore to caring for so many children, when Pat's mother became homebound, she graciously took on the daily responsibility of caring for her. Rita was an amazing seamstress, sewing and altering many wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses, and restoring and creating vestments for the parish. Later in life, she took great joy in being an active member of the Liturgy Committee at St. Mary. She routinely was involved in sewing and crafting many items for the parish, including helping plan and decorate the church for Christmas and Easter and restoring the parish's rosary banners. Rita is survived by her twelve children, including daughters: Celesta (Jeffery) Schmelzer of Bremen, Julia (Kevin) Fox of Greensboro NC, Diane (Jerome) McGee of Lancaster, and Jennifer (Paul) Blackston of Lancaster; sons, Michael (Mary Eskes) of Danville CA, Robert (Charles Stanford) of Chicago IL, Stan of Cincinnati, William (Jennifer) of Westerville, Vincent (Michele) of Lancaster, Theodore (Kelly) of Lodi WI, Jeffrey (Lara) of Cincinnati, and Eric (Carrie) of Columbus; grandchildren, Gregg, Andrea, Nick, Katie, John, Christine, Tim, Dan, Joe, Ryan, Erin, Emily, Megan, Hannah, Stephen, Sarah, Devin, Alex, Dominic, Elyse, Paul, Elaine, Philip, David, Charlotte, James, and Luke; great-grandchildren, Emma, Marta, Noah, Anne, Ryan, Grace, Claire, Ethan, Justin, Colette, Max, Sophia, Theo, Isaiah, Noah, Liam, Michael, Leah, and Wesley. She is also survived by her sisters, Joann (Robert) Crooks, Celestia Yuskewich; brothers Carl (Shirley), Paul (Carol), John (Sue); sister-in-law Ethel Tooill, brothers-in-law Joseph Fox and G.E. "Bud" Hyde; and three half brothers from her father's second marriage, Thomas, Peter (Susan), and James (Donna). She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Richard, sisters Mary Ellen Fox and Barbara Jean Hyde, brother-in-law Craig Yuskewich, and her father's second wife, Jane (Kriglein) Tooill. The family would like to personally thank the physicians and staff of Fairhope Hospice who provided excellent care and nurturing support for our mother and family that allowed her to live out her last days at home. We would also like to express our gratitude and appreciation for our mother's caregivers who provided compassionate and attentive in home care. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, 132 N. High St., with Fr. Craig Eilerman as Celebrant, followed by burial in St. Mary Catholic Cemetery, Lancaster. Friends may call on Monday, June 13, from 2:00 to 4:00 and 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Sheridan Funeral Home, where a Vigil Service will be held at 7:30 that evening. Memorial gifts in Rita's memory may be given to St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, St. Mary Catholic School, or William V. Fisher Catholic High School. We invite those who cannot attend in person to join the live stream for Rita's funeral mass by following the link: https://boxcast.tv/view/the-funeral-mass-for-rita-catherine-messerly-qdfrnjpoukjkniiepwod

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Rita Catherine Tooill Messerly's memorial?
Rita Catherine Tooill Messerly's memorial is located at: Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery, Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA.
When did Rita Catherine Tooill Messerly death?
Rita Catherine Tooill Messerly death on 10 Jun 2022 in
Where are the coordinates of the Rita Catherine Tooill Messerly's memorial?
Latitude: 39.6903000
Longitude: -82.6031036

Family Members:

Parent

John Robert Tooill

(1911 - 2002)

Celestia Clara Shaw Tooill

(1910 - 1948)

Siblings

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6903000, -82.6031036

2. Old Lancaster City Graveyard
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7119400, -82.5988940

3. Lamott Cemetery
Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6931590, -82.5743200

4. Elmwood Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7103004, -82.5899963

5. Saint Johns Episcopal Church Garden
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7147620, -82.6014950

6. Stonewall Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6913986, -82.6393967

7. Tarkiln Cemetery
Berne Township, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6653000, -82.5842240

8. Crawfis-Emery Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6787000, -82.5580000

9. Carpenter-Koontz Cemetery
Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7296227, -82.6093089

10. Guseman Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7139344, -82.6471490

11. Forest Rose Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7327995, -82.6050034

12. Asbury Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7221985, -82.5558014

13. Fairfield School For Boys Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6447301, -82.6249481

14. Green Mound Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7000008, -82.6656036

15. Fairfield County Infirmary Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7388992, -82.5892029

16. Ream Cemetery
Sugar Grove, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6513610, -82.5546500

17. Applegate Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7202988, -82.5421982

18. Graybill Cemetery
Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7415200, -82.6314400

19. Riegel-Hedges Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7177162, -82.6672668

20. Old Methodist Cemetery
Hamburg, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6577120, -82.6638790

21. Schadel Cemetery
Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6808014, -82.6769028

22. Huber Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7407220, -82.5626840

23. Hamburg Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6521988, -82.6639023

24. Fetters Cemetery
Lancaster, Fairfield County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7511676, -82.5890471