Rita M. Wendt

Rita M. Wendt , 88, of Stewartville, MN and former longtime Theilman, MN farmwife, passed away peacefully on Wednesday (November 20, 2024) at Mayo Clinic Rochester - St. Marys Campus.

Rita Marie Tointon was born on October 25, 1936 in Rochester, MN to Richard and Velma (Krom) Tointon. She grew up in Rochester and attended Rochester H.S. graduating in 1954. Rita was married on April 16, 1955 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, IA to Elmer Wendt Jr. The couple moved to the Wendt Family Farm where Elmer began a lifelong love of farming. Rita was a homemaker and farmwife and was employed for a few years at Mayo Clinic and at Long’s Café in Stewartville. They moved to an acreage east of Stewartville farming for 10 years, before purchasing a farm in rural Theilman, that sits at the highest point in Wabasha County. Elmer and Rita raised their family, crop farmed and milked cows there for the next 40 years until their retirements. They moved to Stewartville in 2010. Mr. Wendt died on September 24, 2020. Rita was a past member at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Pleasant Valley Twsp,MN and a longtime member at Bethany Lutheran Church in Lake City, MN. Rita enjoyed crocheting, baking, gardening and canning and collected bells. Rita enjoyed visiting with friends and neighbors and loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Rita is survived by 2 daughters and 4 sons: Dan (Cindy) Wendt of Grand Meadow, MN; Scott (Deb) Wendt of Montevideo, MN; Liz (Gary) Lehnertz of Plainview, MN; Paul Wendt of Chatfield, MN; Suzie (Blair) Meek of Rochester, MN and Wayne (Michelle) Wendt of Plainview, MN; 1 brother –Glenn (MaryKay) Tointon of Dupere,WI and 1 brother-in-law - Raymond Straley of Mesquite,NV  WI; special cousin - Jerry Tointon of Raleigh-Durham, NC; 16 grandkids and 28 great-grandkids and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband – Elmer, her parents, in-laws - Elmer and Alta(Bamlet) Wendt and sisters - Shirley Toomer and Patricia Straley.

A time of visitation for family and friends will take place from 12:00 to 2:00 P.M. on Sunday (November 24, 2020) at Griffin Gray Funeral Home in Stewartville. A lunch will be served following the visitation from 2 to 4:00 PM at the Stewartville American Legion. Arrangements are with Griffin- Gray F.H. in Stewartville. Condolences and memories of Rita are welcome at www.griffin-gray.com.

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