Rita Jean Stangler

Rita Jean Stangler, age 84, of Kilkenny, died on Saturday, January 16, 2021 at Milestone Senior Living in Faribault. Visitation will follow CDC health guidelines and be held on Saturday, January 23, 2021 from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM at St. Canice Catholic Church in Kilkenny. The Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 2:30 PM. Private interment will follow at the Calvary Cemetery in Kilkenny for the family only. A recording of the funeral will be available on the Dennis Funeral & Cremation Services website (dennisfuneralhomes.com) after the service.

Rita was born on December 31, 1936 in Nicollet, Minnesota to William and “Gen” (Dadey) Honken. She graduated from Waterville High School in 1954. Rita was united in marriage to James Stangler on November 22, 1955 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Waterville. During their 56 years of marriage they raised 7 children, teaching them the virtues of hard work, perseverance, and unconditional love.

In addition to her full-time job raising her children, Rita also worked as a cook at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Waterville and as an in-home care provider at the Morristown Manor; as well as helping Lori and Lisa with their businesses. Rita was active in her church serving on both the Rosary Society and the Home & School committee and loved spending time with her friends in the Kilkenny Katies. She also enjoyed the time spent traveling with Jim across Minnesota, the United States and far away locations such as Spain, Portugal and Germany. In addition, she enjoyed cooking, gardening, reading, charcoal drawing and, most of all, spending time with family.

Rita is survived by her six children: Richard Stangler (Julianne Emery) of Kilkenny and his children Toyia (Brian) Arvin, Rebecca Stangler, and Nicholas (Anna) Stangler; Lisa (Lowell) Krause of Brainerd and their children Stephanie Filan, Samantha (Joe) Wieczoreak and Jason (Sara) Filan; Lori (Alan) Kanapa of Tuscan, AZ and their children Joshua Stangler (Kim Kruger), Jeremiah (Kyra) Hackett, and Nicholas and Christopher Kanapa; Steven Stangler (Kim Kewatt) of Waterville and his children Ashley and Amanda Stangler; Joseph (Cassie) Stangler of Otsego and their children Jordan (Courtney) Stangler, Joelle, Judson, and Jaxon Stangler; James (Tonya) Stangler of Fridley and their children Evan, Delaney and Avery Stangler; Great-grandchildren Tyler, James, Mya, Damon, Danielle, Ava, Brody, Benjamin, Jaelyn, Tatum, Logan, Jonathon, Katelyn, and Christian; Siblings Donna Voegele; Kathy (Kylo) Parks; Kenneth (Peggy) Honken; Sisters-in-law Rosie Mariska and LaVonne Stangler; and many nieces and nephews.

Rita was preceded in death by her husband James and daughter Linda, parents William and Gen Honken and sister Joyce Anderson, brother and sister-in-law Bill and Pat Honken, brother-in-law Howard Voegele, mother and father-in-law, Elmer and Matilda Stangler, brother-in-laws Bill, Gerald and Elmer Stangler and Norbert Mariska and sister-in-laws Shirley Stangler, Bernice Stangler and Ella Jahn.