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Carribelle Witt
CARRIBELLE WITT
What Cheer
Carribelle Witt, 98, of Oskaloosa, formerly of What Cheer, passed away Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014, at Northern Mahaska Nursing and Rehab Center. As were her wishes she will be cremated, with burial at a later date in McFarlan Cemetery, What Cheer.
Memorial contributions may be made in her honor to the Northern Mahaska Nursing and Rehab Center Activity Room or Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Friends may sign the online guest book at
www.hollandcoblefuneral
homes.com.
Carribelle "Carrie" Witt, daughter of Howe F. Anderson and Jenny Ethel (Spencer) Anderson, was born May 2, 1915, in Van Buren County. On March 4, 1936, she was united in marriage to Clarence P. Witt and they began their lifelong journey together. In 1951, they moved to What Cheer, where Carrie would spend time working at the What Cheer Library.
In 1970, she became one of the many Corn Cob Jelly Makers. She worked for the What Cheer Corn Cob Project, a booming local business that distributed jelly and syrup throughout the United States and several foreign countries. Carrie, with the help of her husband, Clarence, turned out two batches (57 jars) per day for over 16 years. In late 1986, she put away her big kettle due to Clarence's failing health.
She also worked for the local veterinarian, Dr. Richard Spain. Carrie started working for him as a babysitter and later became his answering service and would fill in for Dick on his days off. She loved every minute of those years. She was still working for Dick at the age of 88 and didn't want him to retire.
In 2007, she put herself in the nursing home and enjoyed her time there very much. She kept busy with activities such as cheering on the Hawkeyes and her life-long hobby of putting together jigsaw puzzles. The activity room at the Northern Mahaska Nursing and Rehab Center was her favorite place.
Carribelle was preceded in death by her parents; her loving husband, Clarence; two brothers, Carl and Fredrick; and a son-in-law, Robert McCulloch.
Left to honor her memory are her four children, Wayne (Margaret) Witt of Summerville, S.C., Beverly McCulloch of LaPorte, Ind., Linda Shipley of New Sharon and Esther (Larry) Churchill of Marion. She was also a loving grandmother to 11 grandchildren, 15 great-grand-children and two great-great-grandchildren, as well as several nieces and nephews and many friends.
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