Hoffmann, Rita

Rita Hoffmann, 83, formerly of 1350 S. Grandview Ave., Dubuque, died at 6:25 p.m. Saturday, March 5, 2011, at Luther Manor in Dubuque as a result of ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Columbkille's Catholic Church with the Rev. Gabriel Anderson officiating. Burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Key West, Iowa. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Siegert-Casper Colonial Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 390 N. Grandview Ave., Dubuque.

Rita was born on June 6, 1927, in La Crosse, Wis., the youngest child of Louis and Anna (Gilles) Weigel. She married Dr. Eugene Hoffmann on Nov. 6, 1951, at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in LaCrosse. Rita was a 1944 graduate of Aquinis High School in LaCrosse. She graduated from St. Francis School of Nursing in 1948. She worked as a registered nurse in LaCrosse and then at Xavier Hospital in Dubuque.

Rita was a dedicated wife and mother to her six children. She kept busy raising her family, but also found time for volunteer activities. She was a member of both the Junior and Senior Boards of the V.N.A. She was a member of Mother of Good Council Catholic Mothers Club. She was a volunteer worker at the Dubuque Rescue Mission, serving meals every Monday for over 20 years. She was also a member of the Dubuque District Dental Auxiliary. She served on various committees at St. Columbkille's parish, where she was a member for over 50 years. Rita was a member of Dubuque Golf and Country Club where she golfed for many years with her friends.

Survivors include her six children, Dr. Paul (Gina) Hoffmann of Dubuque, Mary (Dr. Bill) Holtze of Des Moines, Tom (Jean) Hoffmann of Cedar Rapids, Mark (Lynn) Hoffmann of Highland Ranch, Colo., Mike (Natalie) Hoffmann of East Dubuque, Ill, and Ann (James) Gaughan of Chicago; and 15 grandchildren, Jack and Haley Hoffmann, Carla, Colin and Bill Holtze, Elizabeth Hoffmann, Katy, Daniel Maitland and Luke Hoffmann, Nicholas, Matthew and William Hoffmann, and Abby, Hannah and Michael Gaughan.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene (2007); parents; five brothers, Francis, John, Charles, Paul and Bernard; and two sisters, Eva and Jean.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Rita Hoffmann Memorial Fund, which will be distributed to charities according to her wishes.

The family wishes to thank the nurses and staff at Luther Manor and her many friends that visited her during her illness.

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