Kitty Lou Rudy, 77, passed away peacefully in her sleep at home on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., on Friday, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Warrensburg with Pastor Joel Kurz officiating. Interment will be at 2 p.m. on Friday at Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Higginsville, Missouri.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, at Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home. There will be a “Celebration of Love and Life” from 7 to 9 p.m., at 106 West Pine Street Downtown, Warrensburg. Join Friends and Family there for desserts, refreshments, stories, and tall tales.
Kitty was born on February 25, 1942, in Oak Hall Station, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Harold and Miriam (Homan) Stiffler. She graduated from State College High School in the class of 1960, and went on to attend Penn State University. Kitty was united in marriage to James Duane “Jim” Rudy on March 26, 1961, in State College, Pennsylvania. Jim and “Kitten” as he lovingly referred to her, were blessed with a daughter, Roben and a son, J. As a military spouse, Kitty lived in various places, with her family, throughout the United States, everywhere from New Jersey to California and North Dakota to Texas. In August of 1987, they permanently relocated to Warrensburg. Kitty sold real estate with Key Realty of Warrensburg for many years before opening Rudy’s Frame Shop with Jim. They operated the shop on Pine Street for 18 years until transferring ownership in 2009. Kitty was a founding board member of Warrensburg Main Street Inc.; through this organization she spent many years supporting the growth and revitalization of downtown Warrensburg.
Kitty was baptized in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania and continued in her faith as an active member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Warrensburg since 1978. Additionally, she enjoyed participating in her quilting and sewing groups along with lunch with friends at Wendy’s, gardening, and staying at her beach house as often as she could. She returned to State College, frequently where she enjoyed Memorial Day celebrations and the Grange Fair. Kitty was an avid reader of magazines, novels, and history books and she loved to sit down with the family and do 1000+ piece jigsaw puzzles. Most of all, she was a big fan of desserts, including but not limited to, Wendy’s Frosties, apple pie & dumplings, and ice cream. Some of Kitty’s favorite words of wisdom: “Life is uncertain…so eat dessert first,” were words that she lived by and encouraged others to live by as well.
Kitty is survived by her beloved husband of 58 years, Jim; daughter, Roben Hinker, husband Paul, and their four children: Grace Tubbs, husband Derek, expecting “Baby Tubbs”, Marcie Hinker, Rachel Wehr, husband Josh, and James Hinker; son, James “J”, wife Rhonda, and their two children, Mariah and Jameson Rudy; sister Ann Reede, husband Arthur; and numerous extended family, church family, and friends of the community. Kitty was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Miriam Stiffler; and her brother, Allen Stiffler.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made. The family believes that Kitty’s legacy of community service can be honored with donations made to the follow organizations: Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Warrensburg), Centre County Grange Fair (Centre Hall, Pennsylvania) or Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hallandale (Hallandale Beach, Florida). These organizations will ensure the money is distributed to Kitty-focused worthy causes in each local area.