Obituary for Frances Stitt Albert
Ruba Frances Stitt
1937 - 2020
Ruba Frances Stitt Albert, of Pattonsburg, MO was born on March 24 1937 to Nina Frances
Daniel Stitt and Ermal Henry Stitt in McFall, Gentry County MO, at the home of her
Grandparents, Sidney and Ruba Daniel, and departed this life on September 26, 2020 at 83
years of age at a care center in Cameron, MO. She spent the first nine years of her life on the
farm that initially belonged to her paternal great-grandfather, Emanuel Stitt a Civil War Veteran
who moved from Ohio to Missouri following the war. The farm next belonged to her
grandfather, William Stitt and eventually to her parents. In 1946, Ermal and Nina bought the
house in Pattonsburg on Third Street, where Frances would spend her remaining childhood,
and would eventually purchase the home from her siblings following the passing her parents.
Stitt’s remained in the house for 73 years, until Frances walked out of the house for the final
time on September 2, 2019 to move to the care center in Cameron, MO.
On May 28 of 1954, Frances married Virgil Junior Albert at the Methodist Church in
Pattonsburg. The couple spent the first couple of years of their marriage living in the Kansas
City area, and then returned to spend the rest of their life in Pattonsburg, MO, raising four
children; Diana, Douglas, Danny Joe & Darlis. In 2004 Virgil & Fran celebrated their 50th
wedding anniversary surrounded by all four of their children with a barbeque and family
gathering at their home, and at the Senior Center in Pattonsburg.
Frances became Benton Township Tax Collector for Daviess County following the death of her
mother in 1976. She was re-elected many times into that position and served through the 2006
tax season serving for 30 years, until the position was eliminated and moved to the county
level.
Frances was very active in the community. She grew up and raised their children in the United
Methodist Church in Pattonsburg. She became a member of the board and was active as a
volunteer in managing church business. She enjoyed serving the church with overseeing the
annual Thanksgiving dinner fund raiser, support for the rental of the parsonage, providing
giftbags at Christmas, assisting with the Easter egg hunt for the children of the community each
year, and coordinating the Ministerial Holiday Food Boxes that were delivered to the needy in
the community and supported by all of the churches in town.
Fran was an Assistant Cub Scout Leader in the 1960’s. She was a founding member of the local
Beta Sigma Phi organization and a member of Eastern Star. She was the last living founding
member of the Pattonsburg Tree Climbers and spent many hours of service in the
organization’s headquarters, participated in money making projects, organizing data and files
donated and sharing genealogy information. Frances served on the board of the Pattonsburg
Historical Society and assisted in the process to bring a caboose from the old depot to the new
town. She also served for several years on the board of the Pattonsburg Senior Center.
Frances and Virgil moved from their home on West Third Street, into her original family home
in 1982. Fran and Virg stayed in the home during the great flood of 1993, moving to the upstairs
until flood waters receded and they could begin the cleanup process and restoration. In 1996
they moved the home to the new town of Pattonsburg. Fran and her sister Jeanne and her
grandson, Adam rode to the new town in the front porch swing when the house was relocated
and were featured in a story about the move of the town in the Gallatin Northwest Missourian.
Fran became her family’s historical story teller when she took up genealogy in the 1970’s. She
collected documents and information until the last days of her life. She gave many family
members cemetery tours to show them where at least 5 generations of Stitt, Daniel, Gardner
and Williams families were laid to rest. In 2018 Frances met documentation requirements and
was accepted as a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, along with her
daughters, and only granddaughter. Since that time, her genealogy work has been awarded
with a grandson’s membership into The Sons of the American Revolution, and a niece and
grand-niece’s membership award into DAR.
Fran enjoyed sewing, crocheting, knitting and other craft hobbies until losing her eye-sight to
macular degeneration in 2000. During her many years enjoying those activities she made
clothes for herself and her children and her grandchildren, and made afghans for each of her
children and her grandchildren. Frances delighted in the Christmas holiday and for many years
she enjoyed dressing up as Santa for her grandchildren on Christmas eve. The tradition grew
and over the years, Fran would become Santa on Christmas eve for family, friends and
neighbors to the delight of the children, spreading the Christmas spirit.
Frances joins her husband, Virgil, her oldest son, Douglas, and step-grandson; Noah Moore, her
parents Ermal & Nina Stitt, her in-laws, Mildred & Bill Albert, as well as her brother Paul Stitt
and her sister, Jeanne Stitt Severe in death. She leaves behind her children Diana Gault
(Michael) Woodland Park, CO, Danny Joe Albert (Marsha) Excelsior Springs, MO and Darlis
Wallace (Jeff)of Bethany, MO and a daughter-in-law, Connie Albert, Cameron, MO. She leaves
six grandsons; Kevin Wynne, (Amanda), Coffey, MO, Christopher Gault, Colorado Springs, CO,
Aaron Harmon and Adam Albert (Miranda), both of Pattonsburg, and Jordan Wallace (Kaylen),
of Bethany, MO and Isaac Wallace of Albany MO, one granddaughter; Courtney Gault
Hollohan, (Sean), of Littleton, CO, two step-granddaughters; Adrienne Kurtz, Independence,
MO and Ericka Kurtz, Hamilton. She also leaves behind ten great-grandsons; Nathan Wynne,
Jonathan Hoover, Morgan Suggs, Ethan Moore, Elijah Moore, Ian Albert, Wesley Albert, Micah
Wallace, Nicholas Albert, and Conor Hollohan, and four great-granddaughters, Tabitha Wynne,
Kylee Hollohan, Brittney Ryan, and Sydney Hollohan and one great-great granddaughter,
Oakley Ryan.
Visitation will be held on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020 at the United Methodist Church in Pattonsburg
from 10:00 – 12:00 p.m. Due to the Covid situation, the family requests that everyone wear
masks, adhere to social distancing and discourages public displays of affection to keep the
community and her family safe. A private graveside service and interment will be held at the
Oak Ridge Cemetery following the visitation. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the
Pattonsburg Tree Climbers.
1937 - 2020
Ruba Frances Stitt Albert, of Pattonsburg, MO was born on March 24 1937 to Nina Frances
Daniel Stitt and Ermal Henry Stitt in McFall, Gentry County MO, at the home of her
Grandparents, Sidney and Ruba Daniel, and departed this life on September 26, 2020 at 83
years of age at a care center in Cameron, MO. She spent the first nine years of her life on the
farm that initially belonged to her paternal great-grandfather, Emanuel Stitt a Civil War Veteran
who moved from Ohio to Missouri following the war. The farm next belonged to her
grandfather, William Stitt and eventually to her parents. In 1946, Ermal and Nina bought the
house in Pattonsburg on Third Street, where Frances would spend her remaining childhood,
and would eventually purchase the home from her siblings following the passing her parents.
Stitt’s remained in the house for 73 years, until Frances walked out of the house for the final
time on September 2, 2019 to move to the care center in Cameron, MO.
On May 28 of 1954, Frances married Virgil Junior Albert at the Methodist Church in
Pattonsburg. The couple spent the first couple of years of their marriage living in the Kansas
City area, and then returned to spend the rest of their life in Pattonsburg, MO, raising four
children; Diana, Douglas, Danny Joe & Darlis. In 2004 Virgil & Fran celebrated their 50th
wedding anniversary surrounded by all four of their children with a barbeque and family
gathering at their home, and at the Senior Center in Pattonsburg.
Frances became Benton Township Tax Collector for Daviess County following the death of her
mother in 1976. She was re-elected many times into that position and served through the 2006
tax season serving for 30 years, until the position was eliminated and moved to the county
level.
Frances was very active in the community. She grew up and raised their children in the United
Methodist Church in Pattonsburg. She became a member of the board and was active as a
volunteer in managing church business. She enjoyed serving the church with overseeing the
annual Thanksgiving dinner fund raiser, support for the rental of the parsonage, providing
giftbags at Christmas, assisting with the Easter egg hunt for the children of the community each
year, and coordinating the Ministerial Holiday Food Boxes that were delivered to the needy in
the community and supported by all of the churches in town.
Fran was an Assistant Cub Scout Leader in the 1960’s. She was a founding member of the local
Beta Sigma Phi organization and a member of Eastern Star. She was the last living founding
member of the Pattonsburg Tree Climbers and spent many hours of service in the
organization’s headquarters, participated in money making projects, organizing data and files
donated and sharing genealogy information. Frances served on the board of the Pattonsburg
Historical Society and assisted in the process to bring a caboose from the old depot to the new
town. She also served for several years on the board of the Pattonsburg Senior Center.
Frances and Virgil moved from their home on West Third Street, into her original family home
in 1982. Fran and Virg stayed in the home during the great flood of 1993, moving to the upstairs
until flood waters receded and they could begin the cleanup process and restoration. In 1996
they moved the home to the new town of Pattonsburg. Fran and her sister Jeanne and her
grandson, Adam rode to the new town in the front porch swing when the house was relocated
and were featured in a story about the move of the town in the Gallatin Northwest Missourian.
Fran became her family’s historical story teller when she took up genealogy in the 1970’s. She
collected documents and information until the last days of her life. She gave many family
members cemetery tours to show them where at least 5 generations of Stitt, Daniel, Gardner
and Williams families were laid to rest. In 2018 Frances met documentation requirements and
was accepted as a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, along with her
daughters, and only granddaughter. Since that time, her genealogy work has been awarded
with a grandson’s membership into The Sons of the American Revolution, and a niece and
grand-niece’s membership award into DAR.
Fran enjoyed sewing, crocheting, knitting and other craft hobbies until losing her eye-sight to
macular degeneration in 2000. During her many years enjoying those activities she made
clothes for herself and her children and her grandchildren, and made afghans for each of her
children and her grandchildren. Frances delighted in the Christmas holiday and for many years
she enjoyed dressing up as Santa for her grandchildren on Christmas eve. The tradition grew
and over the years, Fran would become Santa on Christmas eve for family, friends and
neighbors to the delight of the children, spreading the Christmas spirit.
Frances joins her husband, Virgil, her oldest son, Douglas, and step-grandson; Noah Moore, her
parents Ermal & Nina Stitt, her in-laws, Mildred & Bill Albert, as well as her brother Paul Stitt
and her sister, Jeanne Stitt Severe in death. She leaves behind her children Diana Gault
(Michael) Woodland Park, CO, Danny Joe Albert (Marsha) Excelsior Springs, MO and Darlis
Wallace (Jeff)of Bethany, MO and a daughter-in-law, Connie Albert, Cameron, MO. She leaves
six grandsons; Kevin Wynne, (Amanda), Coffey, MO, Christopher Gault, Colorado Springs, CO,
Aaron Harmon and Adam Albert (Miranda), both of Pattonsburg, and Jordan Wallace (Kaylen),
of Bethany, MO and Isaac Wallace of Albany MO, one granddaughter; Courtney Gault
Hollohan, (Sean), of Littleton, CO, two step-granddaughters; Adrienne Kurtz, Independence,
MO and Ericka Kurtz, Hamilton. She also leaves behind ten great-grandsons; Nathan Wynne,
Jonathan Hoover, Morgan Suggs, Ethan Moore, Elijah Moore, Ian Albert, Wesley Albert, Micah
Wallace, Nicholas Albert, and Conor Hollohan, and four great-granddaughters, Tabitha Wynne,
Kylee Hollohan, Brittney Ryan, and Sydney Hollohan and one great-great granddaughter,
Oakley Ryan.
Visitation will be held on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020 at the United Methodist Church in Pattonsburg
from 10:00 – 12:00 p.m. Due to the Covid situation, the family requests that everyone wear
masks, adhere to social distancing and discourages public displays of affection to keep the
community and her family safe. A private graveside service and interment will be held at the
Oak Ridge Cemetery following the visitation. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the
Pattonsburg Tree Climbers.