116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Bonert, Rita A.
Rita A. Bonert, 90, of Cascade, formerly of Hopkinton, died Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011, at Shady Rest Care Center in Cascade, surrounded by her family. Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23, at Kramer Funeral Home in Dyersville, where a St. Paul Altar and Rosary Society will recite a rosary at 2 p.m. and a parish Scripture service will be held at 5 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Paul Catholic Church, Worthington, with burial in the church cemetery. Officiating will be the Rev. Robert Gross, with Deacon Fred Pins assisting.
Rita was born March 31, 1920, the daughter of Henry and Cecelia (Handfelt) Hargrafen. She attended country school and later graduated from Xavier High School. She went on to teach country school in rural Delaware County until her marriage to Leo Bonert on May 15, 1945, at St. Francis Xavier Basilica in Dyersville. The couple farmed northwest of Worthington until their retirement in 1985. They were blessed with six children, and Rita enjoyed being a full-time wife and mother.
In retirement, Rita's favorite pastimes were gardening, playing cards and spending time with her family and friends. It was not uncommon to receive a phone call from Rita on a bright sunny day just to say hello and see what was new. Rita was a devout member of St. Paul Parish in Worthington and was active in the Altar and Rosary Society.
Survivors include her daughter, Mary (Arnold) Allamand of Scotch Grove; her son, Ron (Gail) Bonert of Dyersville; her son, Steve (Jane) Bonert of Hopkinton; a son-in-law, Forrest Smith of Anamosa; a daughter-in-law, Patty Bonert of Farley; 19 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and one sister-in-law, Leona Freiburger of Delhi.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Leo; two sons, Carl and Jerome; daughter, Barbara; two grandsons, Mark Allamand and Cory Bonert; brothers, Lawrence and Ray; and sisters, Agnes and Margaret.
The family would like to extend heartfelt appreciation to Hospice of Dubuque and the staff at Shady Rest Care Center in Cascade for the compassionate care given to Rita.
A memorial fund has been established in Rita's memory.
Information available and condolences accepted at
Daily Newsletters