Rita Raper

Funeral services will be held for Rita Jeanne Holt Raper Sat., Dec. 3, 11 a.m., at Plano East Church of Christ, 3939 Merriman, Plano. Ken Gardner and Alan Sowders will officiate. Visitation is Fri., Dec. 2, 7-9 p.m at Ted Dickey Funeral Home, 18th and Jupiter, Plano. Interment will be in Plano Mutual Cemetery. She died Nov. 27 of complications from a fall.

Mrs. Raper was born in Plano in a house where the Municipal Center now stands downtown on April 2, 1930, to John D. (Jack) Holt and Edna Earl Long. They were descendants of the Holt, Long and Farrell families who migrated from Tennessee and South Carolina following the War Between the States. The Holt farm was located at Bethany and Alma Rds., Allen. Her great-great uncle was Hunter Farrell, whose property became the Heritage Homestead, Plano.

Her teen years were spent in downtown Allen where her grandfather (John F. Holt) operated a wagon repair/farrier shop then auto garage with Jack. She lived in the historic Waters house on Allen Dr. with grandparents Key and Cap Farrell Long and owner Bess Farrell Long.

On June 27, 1947 Rita married Charles M. Raper, also from the pioneer Raper and Shelly families. They were married 64 ½ years until her death.

Mrs. Raper, educated in the Allen school, retired after 21 years as deputy tax collector for City of Plano/Plano ISD. She was an officer and president of Plano Business and Professional Women.

Rita had a generous heart, winning friends in every facet of her life: longtime preschool Bible school teacher at 18th & P Church of Christ; elder’s wife; faithful Christian member of Plano East Church of Christ; sports fan (played AHS basketball) of 6-man AHS football, Plano Wildcats (attended every game of the ’65 championship season and years later), Baylor Bears, Texas Longhorns and Dallas Cowboys. She was a talented decorator, card and candy maker, cook and collector of music boxes and other decorative items. Rita’s travels took her to almost every state; she loved taking the RV/trailers for several weeks in the Big Bend with Charley where they established the Terlingua Church of Christ.

She was predeceased by her parents; brother John Kenneth Holt; grandparents; aunts; uncles; close cousins; brothers-in-law; two nephews; special sister-in-law Mary Raper Bell and mother-in-law Nadine Shelly Raper.

Survivors are her husband Charles; daughter Carla Raper Springer; granddaughter Tracye Jeanne Springer; two beloved nieces she helped raise like daughters, Patricia Blackburn Pehrson and Cheryl Blackburn Weatherford; many nieces and nephews; sisters-in-law Lu Raper, Margaret Raper and Sue Holt; her Skipbo group, especially Penni and Dick Phelps; former son-in-law Patrick L. Springer; and a host of friends.

The family wishes to thank the doctors and staff of Medical Center of Plano and Collin Co. Dialysis/Ave. K and her private physicians for their care.

Memorials may be made to the charity of your choice or these favorites of Rita’s: American Diabetes Association, www.diabetes.org, 4100 N. Alpha, St.100, Dallas 75244, or Arms of Hope, benefitting Boles and Medina homes, www.armsofhope.org, 21300 State Hwy. 16 N., Medina 78055.

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