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Rita Katherine Plathe

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December 27, 1925 - January 7, 2025

Rita Plathe, 99 of Algona, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, at the Algona Manor Care Center in Algona. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 11 a.m. at Divine Mercy Catholic Parish - St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in St. Joe. Mass will be livestreamed via Lentz Funeral Home’s website. Inurnment will take place at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in St. Joe. Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. until the time of Mass at the church on Thursday, Jan. 16. Services have been entrusted to Lentz Funeral Home of Algona. www.lentzfuneralhome.com

Rita Katherine Plathe, was born Dec. 27, 1925, the youngest of five children to John and Annie (Kayser) Thul of rural Bode. Rita attended St. Joe Elementary School and graduated from St. Joe High School in 1943.

Rita married Milford Plathe of Irvington on April 26, 1946. Milford and Rita lived with Milford’s parents, Herman and Justina Plathe, on the Plathe farm while Milford constructed a home for Rita and himself on the Plathe farm close to Herman and Justina.

Milford and Rita had five children; Kristine, Kathleen, Darlene, Robert, who lives on the Plathe farm near Irvington and Jennifer. Rita had 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Milford died on Jan. 29, 1968. Rita remained on the Plathe farm raising their five children through college. She continued to farm 500 acres of corn and soybeans. Rita fed up to 30 kitties at her backdoor every night. She also was an avid gardener, raising vegetables and beautiful flowers. She kept the altars at St. Joseph’s church adorned with her garden flowers of iris, peonies, day lilies, mums and more. In Rita’s teens, she attended a Sioux City school where she became a professional seamstress sewing for her daughters and quilting quilts for her grandchildren. Rita helped her dad farm during WW2 while her brother, Richard, was in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

Rita traveled extensively; throughout the United States, Israel, Germany, Holland, Austria, Luxembourg, Italy, the Vatican and Switzerland.

Rita was a devout Catholic and belonged to the Catholic Daughters of America. She played the church organ and sang in the choir. Rita prayed the rosary daily and on car trips which exemplified her special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Rita began the rosary group at Van Buren in Algona and attended daily Mass.

She was an avid card player. Her favorites included 500, Bridge, Euchre, Uno and Rummikub. Her grandchildren were not happy when she would beat them.

Rita delighted in her role as grandmother. She made many Christmas cookies and goodies and even sent some to Minnesota and Utah. Her banana nut bread was her grandchildren’s favorite. Her meatball recipe was published in the St. Joe’s cookbook and loved by anyone who ate them.

Rita moved to Algona and lived across from St. Cecelia Catholic Church. She was the secretary for eighteen years at Seton Elementary School before she became a resident of Van Buren Terrace. She lived at Van Buren for eleven years before moving to the Algona Manor where her family was present at her bedside when she passed away. Rita’s memory will be forever in the hearts of her family.

Rita will be dearly missed by, Kris Maulorico of Salt Lake City, Utah; daughters Angie Mirrione (Matt) of Salt Lake City, Utah  and their children Madeline and Peter; Andrea Learned of Salt Lake City, Utah and her children Trey, Riley and Ryker; Kathy Plathe of Chaska, Minn. and children Matt Hewitt (Molly) of Edina, Minn. and their children Mary Kate, Maggie and Max, Katie Adams (Eric) of Chaska, Minn. and their children Ellen, Bennett, Finnian, Killian and Kristie Altstatt (Ben) of White Bear Lake, Minn. and their children Piper, Raleigh, Rowan; Robert Plathe (Carol) of Irvington and his children Bobby (Stephanie) and Emma; Jen Paidosh (Steve) of Orono, Minn. and their children Isabella, Kieran and Olivia.

Rita is preceded in death by her husband, Milford; daughter, Darlene; son-in-law, Richard; her parents: John and Annie Thul; brothers, Richard and Eugene and their wives, Betty and Emma and sisters, Clara and Amanda and their husbands, Sylvester and Raymond.

The family of Rita would like to thank you for your acts of kindness, prayers and gifts of flowers that you have shown to our mother. Please join us for a light lunch after the inurnment in the St. Joe Cemetery. Rita’s family encourages everyone to wear pink, her favorite color. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Seton Elementary School in honor of Rita.

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