Laurette Elizabeth Ritz
Laurette Elizabeth Ritz
Laurette Elizabeth (née Conover) Ritz, 97, Grace Village Retirement Community, Winona Lake, died at 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. She died in the loving care of Grace Village Health Care.
She was born at home to a large family on Jan. 8, 1926, in Whig Lane, Salem County, N.J., to Pauline (née Thompson) Conover and Francis Clark Conover. Laurette graduated in 1943 from Woodstown High School. After graduation, she attended nursing school at Cooper Hospital in Camden, N.J. During World War II, as a young lady, she worked at Seabrook Farms Food Processing in Bridgeton, N.J., and RCA Electronics in Camden, N.J.
At the young age of 19, Laurette knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with a young man she met by the name of Joseph Daniel Ritz. They were married April 24, 1945, and were blessed with 43 years of marriage together before Joseph Daniel died on March 4, 1988. They enjoyed doing everything together, whether it be celebrating birthdays, holidays, family gatherings or traveling throughout the U.S.
In 1962, Laurette began working at Upper Pittsgrove Community School Corporation as part of the cafeteria staff. She eventually was promoted to the position of cafeteria manager in the early 1970’s and was the familiar smiling face to hundreds of children and school staff for many years until she retired in 1986. Laurette was a wonderful cook and was kind enough to share her many personal baking and cooking recipes with both the teachers and students. Christmas at school was always a guarantee that her delicious butter cookies would be served.
After she retired and the death of her husband, Laurette was able to visit her family in Warsaw, more often. Her caring heart led her to volunteer her time at Pierceton Elementary School, helping teachers and students where needed. In 2006, she moved to Warsaw and made her home on Pike Lake. When she was able, she loved going to the school to tutor, change the bulletin boards and help the office staff. Laurette was such a beloved and familiar face at school that some of the students took to calling her “Grandma!” She always kept busy doing one thing or another, and she very much enjoyed the fellowship of her church family as a member of Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church. She will forever be loved and remembered as a wonderful mother, grandmother, aunt and friend to many. After experiencing 97 wonderful years on this Earth, she is now eternally home in Heaven.
She will be lovingly remembered by her daughter, Laura Davis, Warsaw; grandsons, Brian (Amy) Davis and Kevin (Melissa) Davis; granddaughters, Kristina (Jerry) Alspach and Julie (Paul) Klement; and 10 great-grandchildren, Ryder, Marshall, Delaney, Addalee, Benjamin, James, Jessica, Ashley, Samantha and Nikolas. Also surviving are numerous nieces and nephews; Lois, longtime partner to her deceased son, Jacob; and her former daughter-in-law, Joan. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, J. Daniel; an infant son, James Alan; son, Jacob Alfred; sisters, Evelyn, Clara and Sarah “Sally”; and brothers, Clifford, John, twin brothers, Earl and Robert, Francis Jr. and an unnamed infant brother. She was also preceded by her son-in-law, Arthur W. Davis.
Laurette’s life will be celebrated with a service at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, and officiated by Pastor Aaron Klein. Friends and family may visit an hour prior to the service from 1-2 p.m. at the funeral home. She will be laid to rest at Chestnut Grove Cemetery in Elmer, N.J.
Memorial donations may be directed to Grace College, 1 Lancer Way, Winona Lake, IN 46590 to be directed to the Arthur W. Davis Memorial Art Scholarship Fund and would be appreciated by her family.