Rita Cason Conrad was the youngest of 9 kids, born to the late Thomas Benjamin Cason and Sarah Anderson Cason on September 23, 1935 in E. St. Louis, Illinois. She received Christ at an early age and was a dedicated member of St. Matthews Missionary Baptist church until she became ill.

She saw and experienced a lot in the 84 years she lived in East St. Louis–some exhilarating highs and some devastating lows. When she was a high school student, East St. Louis was the 4th largest city in Illinois, and was deemed an All-American city by the National Civic League. The historic decline of the city since then has been well-documented. Through it all, she stood proudly.

Nobody who met Cutie could fever forget her. She was a true entertainer, often the center of attention whether it was on formal stages performing plays with SIUE’s Unity Ensemble theater group, or sitting around the kitchen table telling stories. She was truly one of a kind; a unique blend of sugar and spice who could make you feel 10 feet tall or impossibly small depending on which side of her you brought out.

The sugar side of her could be incredibly sweet. She routinely came to the aid of others over the years, especially individuals who were shunned by society. She opened her home to many people who needed a safe, loving place to live. The spice side of her could be equally fierce. From dumping water on the mailman because he made her angry, to getting put out of multiple nursing homes for fighting, she wasn’t the kind of person you wanted to cross.

Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease. To see it drain the life out of someone you love is torture, particularly when that person was so full of life. Through it all, she kept her sense of humor and desire make everyone around her smile. She would dance at the drop of the hat, partly to keep her spirits up, but mostly to brighten spirits of the people around her. Dancing was her way of saying, “Don’t worry, I am alright.”

She was more than alright. She made an indelible impact on everyone she touched. Her impact was evident in the voices of the nursing home personnel after she passed away. Even though they are accustomed to sickness and loss, you could tell that this one hit them extremely hard. In a place where a lot of people were bedridden or confined to wheelchairs, she was probably the most active resident there, walking the hallways all day interacting with staff and other residents.

We do a great job of commemorating the lives of key figures in history like Harriet Tubman, MLK, and Mohammad Ali. For everyone of them who achieves national prominence, there are the Rita “Cutie” Cason Conrad’s of the world whose impact is immeasurable and lasting in the lives of the people they touch, as well as the generations that follow. We are more lucky than we know to have had her with us.

She leaves to celebrate her precious memory: her daughter Jessica Redd and her son Jarik (Adrienne) Conrad; five grandchildren, Chandria Redd, Shelondra Turner, Ortega Mitchell, Alexandria Conrad, and Jarik Conrad Jr.; two great grandchildren, Jalen Griffin and Mikayla James; siblings, Yvonne Campbell and Raymond (Doris) Cason. Also, a special niece and nephew Theodosia Gunner and Raymond (Joyce) Brewer; a host of other nieces, nephews, and “Dozen of Cousin”.