Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Dec. 24, 1925p-April 28, 2023

 

Leta Marie Ritter passed away peacefully just before midnight on April 28, 2023, after numerous bedside visits from her family, friends, and pastor.

Leta was born on Dec. 24, 1925, at home in Wakelee Michigan and grew up on the family farm. She was the daughter of the late Sherman D and Bessie I (Griffis) Cropsey.

Leta married her high school sweetheart, Sidney Ritter, on Oct.7, 1945, and they shared a loving marriage of 58 years. She and Sid were the proud parents of Nancy (married to Larry Wales) and Tom (married to Diane Taylor). Leta graduated from Marcellus High School in 1943 and after graduation began working at Fruit Belt Electric (FBE). In 1957, she and Sid purchased their own farm on M-60 between Vandalia and Cassopolis, where later they built a beautiful ranch home. Sid and Leta loved to host family gatherings that often-included friendly competitions of cork ball and cherry-pit spitting contests among family, close friends, and neighbors.

Leta enjoyed a 30+ year career at FBE and during her retirement, was very active as a volunteer at the Cass County Council on Aging. She regularly drove people to doctor appointments and served meals in the cafeteria. In 2015, Leta made the difficult decision to sell the home she and Sid shared and moved to Maple Creek retirement home in Grand Rapids. There she made many friends and enjoyed playing bingo, cribbage, and euchre. In 2021, Leta moved to The Porches in Gaylord to be closer to Nancy.  Leta was known by many for her love of bowling, card games, reading, her pet cats, and watching her beloved Detroit Tigers. Her favorite movie was Pretty Woman, which she probably watched no less than 20 times. Perhaps one of her greatest accomplishments, according to her grandchildren and great grandchildren, was becoming the world’s best chocolate chip cookie maker.

Leta is preceded in death by her husband; Sid in 2003, and her son; Tom in 2019.

Leta is survived by her daughter, daughter in-law, her grandchildren Steven (Cassie Wales), Lori (Alex Van Veldhoven), Ashley (Warren Fegley) and Jessica (Josh Burgess), and her great grandchildren, Alyssa, Vincent, and Ella Wales; Noor Van Veldhoven; Zephyr, Xylo, Dax and Otto Fegley; Brayden and Byron Burgess.

A celebration of Leta’s life will be held June 9 at Mater-Ralston Funeral Home, Marcellus Mi. Visitation will be from 10 a.m.-11 a.m., the service will start at 11 a.m., followed by a luncheon Marcellus Methodist Church. with Pastor Donald Poole officiating. Memorials may be directed to the Cass Council on Aging or Macular Degeneration for Research. Online condolences may be left at www.materralstonfuneralhome.com.