Rita Mary Hendricks (née Furminger) died on Wednesday, October 9, 2019 surrounded by loved ones. She was 96 years old.

Rita was born November 18, 1922 in Essex County, England to Louis and Anne Furminger. Her mother ran the English boarding house where she grew up with her sister, Margaret (Peg), and brothers, Robert (Bob) and John (Jack). She was an excellent student, and she loved music and books from a very young age.

At 19, she joined the British Army, and she served as a teletype operator. She met her beloved husband, Emmit Hendricks, an American soldier and motorcycle messenger, in London during World War II. They were married February 6, 1945, and they spent most of the first year of their marriage apart. She came to America on a ship full of war brides, and the Statue of Liberty was lighted to welcome them. They were reunited on their first anniversary in February 1946.

They bought their home in Hammond, Ind., in 1957, and they were married 40 years until Emmit's death in 1985.

They raised three children – Thomas Louis, Emmit James (Jim), and Margaret Maebelle (Peggy). Rita was a proud grandmother to nine grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

Rita lived another 35 years after Emmit's death, but she never remarried. She filled that time with travel through Europe and the United States, knitting, jewelry making, and thousands of cozy mystery novels. She was an active member at the Bonner Senior Center, where she was Honored Senior of the Year in 2013 and sang in the Choraliers. She loved to dance and sing, and her family fondly remembers her lovely renditions of big band classics. She was a beloved friend to many, and she was always willing to lend a helping hand to friends and neighbors in need.

Rita was preceded in death by her parents, Anne and Louis Furminger; her beloved husband and son, Emmit and Tom Hendricks; her sister, Peg Eaton; and brothers, Bob and Jack Furminger. She is survived by her son, Jim (Judy) Hendricks; daughter-in-law, Geraldine Hendricks (Fred); daughter, Peggy (Michael) Green; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren who will carry on her legacy of courage and compassion and her adventurous spirit for generations to come.

Friends and family are welcome at a celebration of life, which will be held on Friday, October 18, 2019 from 11 am to 1 pm at Rees Funeral Home at 5341 Central Ave., in Portage, Ind. In lieu of flowers, Rita's family requests donations to support the Bonner Senior Center in Portage.