Margarita Antonia "Nita" Eckhart finally went Home on March 21st after a long stay in the hospital. She was welcomed to heaven by her husband Henry, her son Daniel and her parents, Benjamin and Margaret Morrell.  Born on February 15th, 1932, she grew up in New York City and was the Brooklyn Dodgers biggest fan.  She met Henry when they visited a mutual friend in Denver, CO. They quickly found two important mutual interests-civil rights and baseball. She married Henry in 1952 and moved to Huntington, where he worked for the CandO railroad.  Nita's life is a story of love.  She loved her parents, her husband and her 9 children-Sally, Mary, Therese, John, Joseph, Cecilia, Eric, Daniel and Stephen. She loved her sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, her 10 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
She loved her church family at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church.  She loved her Amish family, the Eli Troyers, whom she and her family visited in Kidron, OH every summer for over 40 years. She loved her Jewish family at B'nai Sholom Temple, where she attended Holy days and participated in the reading of the Names.  She loved to read books, and enjoyed her job at Gallagher Village Library, where she made many life-long friendships. She loved Italian food and was a wonderful cook and baker.  She loved to travel and had two memorable trips to NYC with her son Stephen.  She loved England and was able to travel there several times.  She loved to talk with people. She would have wonderful conversations with both friends and total strangers, because she was genuinely interested in other people's lives and stories.  Nita lived a Christ-like life of service to others, total love, humility, kindness, and forgiveness. She was never judgmental of others
Nita and her family would like to thank all of the people who came to visit her at the hospital.
Thanks to the many caring nurses and medical staff at St. Mary's, Cornerstone, and especially Cabell Heath Care Center. In lieu of flowers, we ask for simple acts of kindness in her memory. Funeral Mass will be conducted 2:00 pm Saturday, March 24, 2018 at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church with Father Charles McGinnis officiating. Burial will be in Miller Memorial Gardens, Miller, OH. Friends may visit with family 12:00-1:30 pm Saturday at Chapman's Mortuary and a procession will leave for the church at 1:30 pm.