Agnes “Alberta” Ridgell, of Great Mills, MD passed away peacefully at her home on July 4, 2024. She was 99 yrs old.
Born March 19, 1925, Alberta was the fifth of 12 children born to the late George William Owens and Mary Lillian (Pillsbury) Owens.
Alberta was born and raised in St. Mary’s County, Paw Paw Hallow, and attended Our Lady’s Medley’s Neck Catholic School, rowing across Breton Bay with her siblings. On July 4, 1943 she married A. Benedict “Dick” Ridgell at Our Lady’s Catholic Church in Medley’s Neck, MD. They celebrated almost 61 wonderful years of marriage before his passing on June 25, 2004. She worked at Cecil’s Store in Great Mills as a newlywed, then was employed for over 37 dedicated years as a telephone operator with Bell Atlantic.
Alberta loved her family and enjoyed Sunday gatherings at their summer home on the water in Ridge. Having been “born with a softcrab in her mouth”, she loved all local seafood. Every Sunday her husband and her sister, PeeWee, would go crabbing and then everyone would come to enjoy their catch. She was an excellent cook and was known for her crab muffins and delicious coconut cakes. She canned produce, made jellies and applesauce for many years. She crocheted many afghans during the cold winter months. She enjoyed planting flowers, especially dahlias and peonies, and making her home look pretty. She took several trips to Florida in retirement to see her brother, Ralph, her only sibling to move permanently from the county. She also enjoyed bus trips to local dinner shows and theaters.
Christmas was Alberta’s favorite holiday and she loved to decorate, especially with poinsettias, cardinals, and deer. Her Christmas Eggnog is a secret recipe, but the nog was shared with family and friends. She had a cat by her side her entire life, and she loved them all.
Alberta was a devout Catholic and volunteered numerous hours with the Ladies of Charity at Holy Face Catholic Church in Great Mills, serving on the altar guild for many years. She donated flowers from her gardens and wreaths made from wild greenery to make the church beautiful. She was a Lady Belle with the St. Michael’s Council of the Knights of Columbus. She could always be found in the kitchen up to her elbows in flour on Fried Chicken Sunday.
Alberta is survived by her sister, Janice T. “PeeWee” Ivancik of Lexington Park, MD, sister-in-law, Emily Owens of Mechanicsville, MD and many nieces, nephews and extended family. In addition to her parents and husband she is also preceded in death by her siblings: George “Snooks” Owens, Ralph M. Owens, James “Jimmy” Owens, Mary Lillian Goddard, Catherine “Queenie” Pilkerton, Joseph “Joe” Owens, Bernard X.
Owens, Josephine “Josie” Quade, Harold “Shorty” Owens, Robert “Lightning” Owens; and her half siblings, Abell “Rip” Owens and Ethel Bowles.
Family will receive friends of Alberta on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Holy Face Catholic Church, 20408 Point Lookout Road, Great Mills, MD 20634. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Reverend Scott Holmer at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Our Lady’s Catholic Church – Medley’s Neck Cemetery in Leonardtown, MD 20650.
Serving as pallbearers will be John Ivancik, Little Johnny Ivancik, Leroy Owens Jr., David Browne, Wayne Marble, and Bobby Mattingly.
Donations may be made in Alberta’s name to Holy Face Catholic Church or Hospice of Southern Maryland.
Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.
