Rita Marguarite Wethington Kern passed peacefully into the loving arms of her Savior on the evening of July 9, 2026, in Lewisville, Texas, surrounded by the love of her family. She was 94 years and 8 months old.
Rita was born on October 21, 1931, in the family home in Waterflow, New Mexico.
On that cold October night, her father, Fred Wethington, hurriedly built a fire to warm the house. The hearth had not yet fully cured, and the heat caused it to crack. For the rest of her life, Rita delighted in telling the story that the crack in the hearth marked the night she came into the world.
Rita was the second youngest of nine children, seven girls and two boys, and grew up surrounded by the beauty of the Four Corners region, a place she loved throughout her life. Her childhood on the family farm shaped the values that would define her: hard work, gratitude, perseverance, and faith.
Life on the farm was filled with responsibility and purpose. The family cleared rocks from the fields before planting crops, raised sheep, hogs, and turkeys, milked cows, and harvested fruit each summer to sell at roadside stands. In those early years, Rita developed a lifelong appreciation for simple blessings and the rewards of dedication.
Waterflow was a close-knit community filled with cousins, aunts, uncles, and lifelong friends. Located just four miles from the Navajo Nation, it fostered in Rita a deep appreciation for the people and landscapes that shaped her childhood.
Each morning, Rita enjoyed the breathtaking view of Shiprock as she made her way to Sacred Heart Church and Sacred Heart Academy, the Catholic school located just across the street from her home. An exceptional student with a lifelong love of learning, Rita graduated as valedictorian of her class at only sixteen years of age.
Her education continued at Saint Catharine College in Springfield, Kentucky, where she studied nursing and bookkeeping. Those two years remained among the happiest of her life. She formed treasured friendships with fellow students and the Dominican Sisters, attended the Kentucky Derby in 1951 and 1952, skated on frozen ponds during the winter, spent joyful holidays with cousins, and even helped harvest tobacco on a relative's farm.
After graduating as a registered nurse, Rita returned to New Mexico in 1952 and began her nursing career at the newly established San Juan Clinic in Farmington. Among the physicians who founded the clinic was Dr. William Marbury Sr., a gifted surgeon who had been a professor of surgery at George Washington University Medical School. Rita always took great pride in the compassionate care she provided during those early years of her nursing career.
While visiting Nazareth to see her first cousin, Joe Warren, and her sister, Angela Wethington Acker, Rita met Walter "Bud" Kern. Their courtship soon blossomed into love, and they were married on May 9, 1954, at Sacred Heart Church in Waterflow, New Mexico.
Following their honeymoon through Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Canada, Rita and Bud settled in Nazareth, Texas, where together they built a home centered on faith, family, and service. They shared nearly 59 wonderful years of marriage before Bud's death in 2013.
Although Rita was a gifted nurse, her greatest calling was motherhood. She and Bud were blessed with eleven children, eight sons and three daughters. In 1968, they endured the heartbreaking loss of their infant daughter, Dianna Rose, at five months old, a sorrow Rita carried quietly throughout her life.
While raising their family, Rita worked alongside Bud at Kern Plumbing and Electric. She kept the books, waited on customers, traveled to Amarillo and Lubbock for inventory and supplies, and handled the countless responsibilities that came with operating a small family business. Many of her sons and grandsons eventually worked alongside her, while her daughters and granddaughters often helped in the office.
Her children loved stopping by her desk after school each day for a quick hug, a kiss, and a chance to tell her about their day. Her grandchildren remember visiting Grandma Rita at the office, choosing one of the ever-present lollipops she kept on hand, and drawing on her whiteboard with colorful markers. She had a remarkable gift for blending work and family.
As she raised her large family, Rita also devoted herself wholeheartedly to her parish and community. A lifelong Catholic, her faith was the foundation of everything she did. She was an active member of the Catholic Daughters, Christian Mothers, and the Third Order Franciscans. She taught religious education at Holy Family Church for more than fifty years. She was also a Eucharistic minister for many years.
When her older children were teenagers, Rita and Bud served as sponsors for the parish CYO, spending many Saturday evenings supervising dances while cheerfully enduring the era's loud psychedelic rock music. She sang in the church choir, attended Mass nearly every day, and lived the values she cherished. Even in her later years, she could almost always be found in the front pew at daily Mass, faithfully praying for those she loved.

Rita found joy in life's simple pleasures: playing Spades with family and friends, sitting at the piano, hosting family gatherings, attending dances, and celebrating every birthday, holiday, and special occasion. Nothing brought her greater happiness than having her family together.
Halloween and Christmas were particularly special. Rita became something of a legend in Nazareth for the Witch's Brew she prepared each Halloween for neighborhood children. She loved decorating her home for the season and welcoming every trick-or-treater who came to her door.
Christmas was especially magical in the Kern home. The living room overflowed with gifts, and after Midnight Mass at both Christmas and Easter, family would gather for food, laughter, and hours of visiting. Those celebrations became treasured family traditions and are some of the happiest memories of her children and grandchildren.
Every summer, Rita returned to New Mexico and Colorado to reunite with brothers, sisters, cousins, and nieces and nephews. Those trips renewed her spirit and reminded her of the beauty of the Four Corners region that had first captured her heart as a child.
Rita was a lifelong adventurer. She loved to travel, learn new things, meet new people, and experience new places. Through her life she visited much of the United States, as well as Mexico, Honduras, Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand. Every trip was filled with curiosity, gratitude, and wonder.
She also appreciated life's everyday blessings. Kentucky Fried Chicken, sweet corn, and catfish ranked among her favorite meals, but what mattered most was never the food—it was the people around the table. She rarely missed a sporting event, recital, concert, or family celebration, and she would travel long distances to celebrate milestones and sporting events with children and grandchildren who lived away from Nazareth.
After Bud's passing in 2013, Rita devoted herself even more to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Long after most people retired, she continued greeting customers at Kern Plumbing and Electric with her warm smile and genuine interest in their lives, working well into her eighties.
After spending seventy years in Nazareth, Rita moved to Coppell, Texas to be closer to several of her children. She continued to enjoy daily Mass, frequent family visits, and many new friendships, while staying connected to the Nazareth community she loved.
Rita was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Cross Timbers Chapter, and took great interest in learning about the generations who came before her. Her passion for genealogy was more than a hobby, it was a way of honoring the sacrifices, faith, and perseverance of those who shaped her family's story.
She was a direct descendant of Governor Thomas Green, the second governor of colonial Maryland, and Jane Coomes, remembered as the first teacher in what is now Kentucky. Her appreciation for Kentucky was especially meaningful because it was the birthplace of both of her parents and the place where she spent two treasured years in college.
Rita's last major trip was in June 2024, when she traveled to Harrodsburg, Kentucky, for the 250th anniversary of the town's founding. She walked the grounds of Fort Harrod, where her ancestors Jane and William Coomes lived during the American Revolution from 1775 to 1782. She also revisited her college campus, attended the races at Churchill Downs, and returned to Bardstown, a town founded by her ancestors. This journey reflected her love of family history and appreciation for the generations who came before her.
Rita was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Walter "Bud" Kern; her daughter, Dianna Rose Kern; her son, Kenneth Daniel Kern; her parents, Fred and Lottie Stallings Wethington; her great-granddaughters, Jane Caroline Kern and Maizie June Kern; all her brothers and sisters; and many other beloved family members who welcomed her home.
She is lovingly survived by her children: Dennis Kern (Patti), Jerry Kern (Carol), Theresa Vo (Long), Tom Kern (Jennifer), Patricia Butler (David), Jim Kern (Elaine), Michael Kern (Candy), Francis Kern (Nini), and Bob Kern (Marcia); 27 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; one expected great-great-grandchild; and many cherished nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and dear friends.
A Rosary and viewing will be held on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 , at 6:30 p.m. at Holy Family Church in Nazareth, Texas. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at Holy Family Catholic Church with Rev. Arokiaraj Samala as celebrant with Deacon Bob Birkenfeld and Deacon Joe Hochstein assisting. Burial will follow in Holy Family Cemetery under the care of Colonial Funeral Home with a meal being served afterwards at the Community Hall.