BOONE, Iowa—Rita Faye Nellis, 79, passed away peacefully on August 3, 2024, at Israel Hospice House in Ames, Iowa.
Rita was born on November 6, 1944, in Spirit Lake, Iowa to Merrill and Eva (Bell) Hausmann. After graduating from Spirit Lake High School in 1962, Rita attended and graduated from the American Institute of Business in 1963.
Rita was united in marriage to Richard Nellis on October 24, 1964 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Spirit Lake, Iowa. They traveled to California to start their marriage and moved back to Boone, Iowa in 1969 to raise their family.
Rita was a homemaker most of her life, but she held various jobs in the community which included being a pharmacy technician and a secretary until her retirement.
Rita enjoyed lots of activities in life: shopping, going to casinos, and attending auctions and garage sales. She enjoyed spending time with her family, especially during holidays.
Rita was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, brother-in-law, Kenneth Nellis and Patrick Nellis, and a sister-in-law, Judy Nellis.
Rita is survived by her daughters, Rayna (Patrick) McCoy of Boone and Regina Nellis (Tony Abram) of Waukee, and foster daughter, Theresa Jay of Boone. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Sara (Rick) Peugh, Kai Becke (Destiny Calvin), Meagan Sandegren, and Logan Becke, step-grandchildren, Josh McCoy (Crissy Cozad), Anthony McCoy (Laura Alt), and Brandon McCoy (Ashlea Teter), and foster-grandchildren, Molly Jay and Alison Jay. Rita also had two great-grandchildren, Rita is also survived by her brother, David (Sheryl) Hausmann, her sister, Kimberly (Michael) Thomas, her brother-in-law, Robert Nellis, Her sister-in-law, Shirley Nellis, Jane Cunningham and Donna Nellis, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Cremation has taken place, and a celebration of life was held on August 16, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. at the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel. An interment service then took place at Squire-Boone Cemetery near Boone.
Memorials can be made to the family and mailed to Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel, c/o Rita Nellis Family, P.O. Box 15, Boone, Iowa 50036
Funeral arrangements were under the direction of the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel at Sixth and Marshall Streets in Boone.
Rita Nellis, 79, Boone, Iowa
