Rife, Grace P.

Grace P. Rife, 91, of Durant, died Thursday, May 30, 2013, at Lutheran Homes of Muscatine. Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 3, at the United Methodist Church in Wilton. Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 2, and one hour before services at the church. Interment will take place at Oakdale Cemetery, Wilton.

Grace was born Sept. 24, 1921, to Fred and Marvel (Bowser) Satterthwaite in Muscatine County, Iowa. Grace graduated from Muscatine High School in 1939 and attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls. She later graduated from Muscatine Community College and the former Marycrest College in Davenport. She married Everett J. Rife on Aug. 16, 1942, in Muscatine. He preceded her in death on April 28, 1992.

She taught in rural schools in Muscatine County for 5 years and later taught Kindergarten for 20 years at the Wilton Community Schools.

She is survived and lovingly remembered by her daughters, Jill and husband Joe Akers of Durant and Joy Combs of Lowden; her son, Jack and wife Sharon Rife of Wilton; five grandchildren, Charls (Stephani) Rife of Columbus Junction, Dawn Yedlik of Marion, Emma (Bill) Mach of Wilton, Nicholas (Christy) Combs of Fayetteville, N.C., and Christopher (Jennifer) Akers of Chattanooga, Tenn.; 10 great-grandchildren, Delaney and Kennedy Rife, Landon and Sydney Yedlik, Tyler and Jessica Mach, Hannah and Samuel Combs, Megumi and Joey Akers; her sister, Frances (Nevin) Birkhofer of Muscatine; and her brother, Paul (Verna) Satterthwaite of Muscatine.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; great-granddaughter, McKenna Rife; her sister and brother-in-law, Norma and Mike Dickey; and her sister-in-law and brothers-in-law, Henry and Pearl Hagge, Melvin and Donald Rife.

Memorial donations may be made to United Methodist Church, Wilton, in her memory.

Online remembrances and condolences may be left at www.bentleyfuneralhome.com.

Published May 31, 2013 in The Gazette