Althea Fitton

ALTHEA FITTON

Cedar Rapids

Althea Fitton passed away Sept. 10, 2014, at the age of 93 years.

She will be remembered for her friendly and sweet spirit, ethical values and concern for others. Her motto was "Perseverance!"

She was born July 25, 1921, the third of six children to Flora and Carl Knoll in Peoria, Ill., where she attended Christ Lutheran School and graduated from Manual High School. She often described those difficult times of living through the Great Depression to her children. Upon graduating from high school, she went to work at Caterpillar Tractor Co. to help support her family and eventually became executive assistant to the president of the company. Her leisure hours were spent playing roaming shortstop for the Caterpillar Dieselettes.

In 1939, when Althea was 19, she married her high school sweetheart, Gene Francis Yaden. He worked as a chemist and also served in the Navy during World War II. They had three children: Mary and twins Susie and Rick. Gene died suddenly at the age of 30 in the polio epidemic of 1949. Mary was 4 and Rick and Susie were 1, and the family moved in with Althea's parents to cope with the great loss.

She went back to work at Caterpillar, where she met Bertron Reed Fitton, a civil engineer. Bert and Althea married in 1951 and Bert adopted Mary, Susie and Rick. The family later moved to Richmond, Va., in 1954 and had a son, Robert.

Following a job opportunity, the family moved in 1957 to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where they resided until 1985, when Bert retired. Althea and Bert happily returned to Virginia by moving to Irvington and purchasing a home on Carter's Creek.

Althea was active in community affairs her entire life, focusing on those less fortunate. She was an especially dedicated volunteer and secretary to the board at the Cedar Rapids Cerebral Palsy Center for many years. By word and deed she instilled the value of service in her children.

Althea cherished her friendships and while in Cedar Rapids, helped create the "Crab-In," a group of women who remained lifelong friends and who shared coffee, camaradie, humor and support for one another each Friday morning for over 20 years.

During her later years in the Northern Neck, she was a dedicated volunteer at Historic Christ Church, a member of the Kilmarnock Garden Club, a devoted member of Campbell Presbyterian Church and played a good game of lawn bowling.

She is survived by her children, Mary Linden (Dennis), Susie Kinkead and Robert Fitton (Karen); and daughter-in-law, Linda Fitton.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Gene Yaden; her second husband, Bertron Fitton; her son, Rick Fitton; and son-in-law, Ron Kinkead.

She also is survived by grandchildren, Elizabeth Murphy (Mark), Matthew Linden (Amanda), Valerie Fitton-Kane (Sean), Shane Fitton, Reed Fitton, Jenna Fitton and Heather Luscher; as well as great-grandchildren, Emma and Andrew Murphy, Oliver and Claire Linden and Julien and Annaliese Kane.

Althea was a fabulous cook and made the best scrambled eggs ever, a feat none of her children has mastered. She also was known for her French silk chocolate pie and her perfect holiday dinners.

She stressed the importance of self-reliance to her family, especially to her daughters as she recalled her days when she was the sole wage earner. She never gave up and imparted that wisdom to her children and grandchildren. In her recent years she continued to offer sage advice and love to those in need and to her family.

Her life is indeed to be celebrated!

A memorial service will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, at Campbell Memorial Presbyterian Church, Weems, Va.

Memorial contributions may be made to Christ Lutheran School, 1311 S. Farraday, Peoria, IL 61605.