SIOUX CITY -- Laurine A. Tritz, 80, of Sioux City died peacefully surrounded by her eight children on Monday, Dec. 8, 2008, at her residence following a lengthy battle with cancer.
Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, with the Rev. Merlin J. Schrad officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be 3 to 8 p.m. today, with a rosary at 4 p.m. and a parish vigil service at 7 p.m., at Larkin Northside Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home. Following the visitation, the body will be cremated. Condolences may be sent online to
www.christysmith.com
.
Laurine was born July 7, 1928, in Mason City, Iowa, the daughter of Claire and M. Caroline (Pence) Morse. She lived in Mason City until her family moved to Sioux City around 1937. She had lived the rest of her life in Sioux City. She graduated from Central High School in 1946, then attended the University of Nebraska and Briar Cliff College.
She married James V. Tritz on June 18, 1949, in Sioux City. Jim died July 12, 1997, in Sioux City. She was a homemaker and housewife.
She was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and the church confraternity. She was a volunteer coordinator and driver for the cancer center. She belonged to the Sun Valley and South Ridge Golf courses. She was an avid bridge player. She was a dedicated housewife, mother and grandmother. One of her greatest joys was watching her children and more recently all her grandchildren's activities.
Survivors include three sons and their wives, Thomas J. and Dawn Tritz of Springhill, Ind., John M. and Lisa Tritz of Sioux City and James A. and Jami Tritz of Sioux City; five daughters and their husbands, Mary Claire and Dennis Clark of Cincinnati, Ohio, Terri and Steve Kimbell of Sioux City, Barb and Cliff Wilcox of Sioux City, Patti and Jim Lohr of Omaha and Nancy and Steve Zediker of Sioux City; brothers and sisters-in-law, Peter and Mary Ellen Tritz, Patti Morris, Mickey Greer, Happy and John Heffernan and Sallie Striegel; 27 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; an infant brother, Claire H. Morse; and three brothers-in-law, Leo Morris, Tom Greer and Bill Striegel.
Memorials will be sent to her favorite charities.