Rita Belle Petzoldt

BEAVER FALLS- Rita Belle Petzoldt, 89, formerly of Beaver Falls Rd., Beaver Falls, passed away on Friday, March 4, 2022 at the Lewis County Health System Nursing Home, Lowville.

The funeral will be at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 at Iseneker Funeral Home, Inc., Lowville with Minister of the Apostolic Christian Church of America, Lowville, officiating.  Spring burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Beaver Falls.  Calling hours are from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, prior to the funeral service, at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, contribution may be made to Friends of Lewis County Hospice, P.O. Box 266, Lowville, NY 13367.

She is survived by her four children, Debra Belle Church of Monroe, Michigan; Bruce Donald and Patricia Petzoldt of Beaver Falls; Wendy Ethel and Andrew Lehman of Croghan; Patti Jayne and Randy Widrick of Croghan, 16 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-granddaughters; her siblings, Arlene Grau of Croghan; Regina Herzig of Castorland; Theodore B. Virkler Jr (Mae) of Croghan; Norma and Melvin Zehr of Lowville; Nathaniel and Sheila Virkler of Lowville; Kendall and Marlene Virkler of Lowville; several nieces, nephews and cousins.   She is predeceased by her beloved husband Donald, who passed away on January 10, 2015; granddaughter, Jaclyn May Petzoldt; and two brothers-in-law, Ray Grau, and Bradley Herzig.

Rita was born on September 4, 1932 in the Town of New Bremen, NY, a daughter of the late Theodore Benjamin and Amelia Belle Farney Virkler.  She graduated as Valedictorian from Beaver Falls High School in the class of 1949.  On June 30, 1951, she married Donald J. Petzoldt at the Evangelical United Brethren Church, Beaver Falls, with Rev. Norman Pusey, officiating.  Together with her husband, they purchased her husband’s family dairy farm and were lifelong dairy farmers. 

Rita was a lifelong member of Apostolic Christian Church of America, Lowville.

Condolences may be made online at www.isenekerfuneralhome.com.

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