Alitra Yvette Rucker was born October 7th, 1959, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Elder Cornelius N. Rucker and Mrs. Yvonne Rucker. She was preceded in death by her father, Bishop C. N. Rucker, and one sister, Linda P. Howard.

Vette, as she was affectionately called by her family and friends, grew up in the Kansas City Metro area, where she attended Henry C. Kumpf Elementary School, Southeast Middle School and was a 1977 graduate of Southeast High School. She then furthered her education, receiving college credits from the Penn Valley Community College.

Yvette had one son, Quincy Cornell Rucker. She met and married Vance Henry and to this union a daughter, Gia Christine, was born.

Yvette Rucker was a miracle! When she was 6 months old, she developed a deadly case of meningitis. The doctors said that she would not live to see her 1st birthday, but she lived to see 58 more! To God Be the Glory!

She was born into and was a life-long member of the Greater Holy Temple Church of God in Christ, under the founding ministry of her father, Bishop C.N. Rucker, and more recently Pastor Willard E. Lofton. As the pastor's daughter, she was an active member as was expected. She participated in many ministries in the church, but her true love was in the choir, from the "Angels of Light" to the "Greater Holy Temple Inspirational Choir" to the "International Church of God in Christ Mass Choir" under the direction of Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. In her teenage years, Yvette even started the first Youth Choir at Greater Holy Temple, drawing and engaging many of the teenagers in the church. She often reminisced of her choir days.

Yvette had a tough exterior to protect her soft and easily hurt interior, but she always allowed children to penetrate through. She was a "babysitter extraordinaire". She kept and nurtured generations of children including nieces, nephews, cousins, great nieces, great nephews, and friends. Many sought her services when they were in need of a trusted babysitter to care for their children.

Yvette was quite the chef. She loved cooking for her family and friends; and she took great pleasure in providing hearty meals for anyone who asked. Her hamburgers were quite famous, being known as "Vett Burgers". If you ever had a "Vett Burger", you would definitely come back for more!

In the last 10 years, Yvette's health was challenged by epilepsy, and her mobility was limited due to arthritis. She began to spend more time in the home, and had nurses and home help coming in almost daily. She developed a special relationship with her home help aid "LuLu". Even after "LuLu" moved on to other jobs, she continued to visit and check on "Ms. Alitra".

Alitra Yvette (Vett) Rucker, of Belton, Missouri, passed away Saturday, May 5th, at the Belton Regional Medical Center. Although we are deeply saddened, we are comforted by the fact that God lent her to us for an extended amount of time. She was a staple presence in her family and the lives of those that loved her.

Yvette leaves to cherish in her memory one son, Quincy Cornell Rucker; one daughter, Gia Christine Henry; her devoted mother, Mother Yvonne Rucker; three sisters, Cornelia Marie Rucker, Mia Rochelle Rucker-Wise (Fred), Chrystal La'Nette Rucker; one brother, Eld. Cornelius E. Rucker (Karen); a devoted niece/chauffeur/care-giver, Camille NaNette Rucker; a host of other nephews, nieces, aunts, cousins, the Greater Holy Temple church family, and MANY friends.