Rita Nowstrup

Rita Nowstrup, 93 died Saturday, January 24, 2015 at the Tieszen Memorial Home, Marion. Funeral mass will be at 10:30am Thursday, January 29, 2015 at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Marion with burial in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 3-4pm Wednesday at the Tieszen Home Chapel followed by visitation at the church and Prayer Service at 7:00pm Wednesday evening. Rita Mae Funke Nowstrup was born on July 17, 1921 at Geddes, SD to Joseph and Mary (Pasker) Funke. She attended catholic school and graduated from Geddes High School. She went on to graduate from business school in Mitchell, SD. On October 7, 1941 she was united in marriage to Merle Nowstrup. They had two children, Helen and Gary. They farmed in the Marion area until 1975 when they moved into Marion. Rita was employed at the Tieszen Memorial Home for 21 years. She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, longtime member of St. Mary's Alter Society, and Senior Citizens Center. Grateful for having shared her life are her daughter Helen (Arthur) Stegemann, Hopewell, VA; her son Gary (Connie) Nowstrup, Marion; 6 grandchildren, Chad (Rochelle) Nowstrup, Madison, SD, Nicole (Ryan) Myhre, Fargo, ND, AJ (Debbie) Stegemann, Aberdeen, MD, Renata (Karreem) Page, Aberdeen, MD, Joseph (Sondra) Stegemann, Cotonsville, MD, Charity (John) McKown, Prince George County, VA and 13 great grandchildren, Dexter, Valarie, Ryleah, Aloyna, Aulora, Cora, Elizabeth, Sammy, Jacob, Cindy, Isbella, Ashely, and Andra; a sister Irene Merkwan, Geddes; and a brother in law, Ed Ayres, Viborg. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Merle in 1981, 10 brothers and sisters, Albert, Leo, Raymond, Vern, Urban, Lawrence, Clarence, Mary Leone, Ruth Knudson, and Alice Kuhnert, 6 brother and sister in laws, Harlan Mertwan, Bernie Knudson, Harold Kuhnert, Merna Ayres, Mary Ann Funke, and Edna Funke, and a great grandchild, Joseph Stegemann, Jr.