Zita Frances Harms

Zita Frances Harms

Monticello

Zita Frances Harms was born at home in Manning, Iowa on September 15, 1933 to Hugo Edward Heinrich and Ola Christina (Meisel) Ress. She was the fifth of six children. She became a member of the Gold Star family in 1949. Zita attended Manning Community School, where she actively played drums and symbols in the Manning High School band. Zita graduated from Manning High School in 1951.

Zita and her siblings started at a young age helping her parents in the restaurant business. Zita’s parents, Hugo and Ola, owned and operated the Manning Cafe and later the H and O Cafe and a Coffee Shop on Main Street. A typical “Ress”

luncheon menu consisted of homemade entrees served with side dishes, and a beverage for 50 cents. The regulars were the construction crews building Highway 141 and the men working on the Milwaukee railroad. Zita helped her family deliver the Manning Monitor newspaper for 10+ years. She worked her senior year and after HS graduation at the Dime Store building on 303 Main Street, saving to go to nursing school.

Zita met her lifetime friend and nursing roommate, Phyllis (Miller) Schlueter at the Averill Boarding House in Cedar Rapids. Zita and Phyllis became best friends, studying together, working together, and other weekend activities. The Averill House had several apartments that housed St. Luke’s nurses, where Zita developed a close friendship with six classmates: Phyllis Schlueter, Dolores Schrader, Mariann Plueger, Helen Woods, Bonnie Cavin, and Billy Jean. During nursing school, Zita met the love of her life, Galen H. Harms. Galen would visit the Averill House with his best friend Duane Wenndt.

In May 1955, Zita graduated from St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Cedar Rapids. Zita continued to work at St. Luke’s Hospital in the Pediatric unit for four years. During this time, Zita and Galen went on roller skating dates, lunch dates at the Marion Maid-rite, and danced at the Armar Ballroom in Marion; where love blossomed from there. Zita married her sweetheart on May 24, 1959 in Manning, Iowa at Zion Lutheran Missouri Church. They bought a farm in Amber across the highway from Galen’s parents to begin their family journey.

Zita loved farm life and learning how to be an organic farmer from her husband. She truly enjoyed milking their Guernsey cows, feeding their black Angus cattle, and raising Chester White & Hampshire hogs. Zita vaccinated their baby pigs, swaddled them, and often brought them inside the family home to get stronger, and to be returned to their mothers.

After much persuasion by Cecil Goettsch, Zita returned to nursing at John McDonald Hospital in Monticello, under nursing director Sharon Roller. Galen promised to take care of Gaile and Duane while she worked nights. Starting in 1970, Zita began working the night shift at Monticello Senior Home. Zita was a devoted mother to her 3 children, making sure Gaile, Duane, and Diane attended Church, Sunday School, Catechism, & Luther League after working the weekend night shift. She poured her heart into her children’s school activities and encouraged them to follow their dreams. Zita attended each one of their home games/meets, bands concerts, parades, and proudly chaperoned prom. She loved her family deeply, by making homemade cinnamon rolls or pies every Saturday night and a home cooked meal daily, often inviting neighborhood children over for meals. She packed her husband’s lunch with delicious leftovers and love notes before she got ready for work. In 1992, Zita transferred to the Anamosa Care Center until her retirement in 1998.

Zita loved her strawberry bed and raspberry patch; putting 30-40 pints in the freezer every year. She spent many hours canning her garden vegetables, teaching her children to operate lawn mowers, and patiently teaching each of her children to drive a vehicle. In October 2005, after 46 years of farming, Zita and Galen moved to Anamosa. They planted peach trees, an apple tree, and a lilac bush. Galen planted a large flower bed for Zita to enjoy, and the two planted a large vegetable garden to share with their family and friends. Zita loved gardening with her husband, being a devoted wife, loving mother, and a caring nurse. But more than life itself, she loved her grandchildren deeply. They went to all of their grandsons’ baseball games, Sunday school events, Scout honors and award nights, band concerts, parades, and Kurt’s Linn-Mar football games, as well as watching Forrest play the drums at halftime in the marching band. Zita’s daughter Diane and her grandsons kept her busy; but made her proud to be an ISU mother and grandmother. Zita and Galen attended ISU football games, ISU Honor Awards and four ISU Graduations. With eager anticipation, in February 2019, she met her youngest grandson, Duane “Junior” named after her own son and her husband’s best friend. March 4, 2019 brought joyous birth news of her first great-granddaughter Elise Jane. In February 2023, the Harms family was complete, as we welcomed Duane’s entire family to Iowa: wife Janette, son Duane Jr., and daughters Kristine Jen and Abby Lee. With Duane’s family living close, more quality time was spent being a mother and grandmother.

Zita’s enthusiasm to help others and educate her patients spans 50 years. When she retired, she received a calling to mend nursing home patients’ clothes and Zita gladly accepted. Zita and Gaile joined the Mercy Family Caregivers to learn how she could better serve her husband in caregiving, and along the way, volunteered to sew “take home bags” for the patients. Zita was looking forward to joining the Jones County Nurses Honor Guard with her daughter this month, instead the Nurses Honor Guard will be recognizing Zita’s dedication to her profession today.

Zita was baptized on October 8, 1933 and confirmed on March 21, 1948 at Zion Lutheran Missouri Church in Manning, Iowa, where she was a lifetime member prior to transferring to Wayne Zion Lutheran Church in June 1959. Zita belonged to the Quilters, worked the harvest festival, worked the food pantry, and loved being an usher for many years with her husband.

Zita was blessed with 3 children: Gaile, Duane (Janette) Harms of Anamosa, and Diane (Larry) Martinson of Marion. 9 Grandchildren: Kurt (Catie), Forrest (Kaylee), and Amanda Martinson, Kristine Jen Guevarra, Duane, Jr. and Abby Lee Harms, and Kristine Munier. 4 Great-grandchildren and 6 Godchildren: Paul Ehlers, Randy Harms, David Schlueter, Elaine Wenndt, Allison Erickson, Matthew Wenndt.

Zita was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Galen; her parents Hugo & Ola Ress, sister Ramona Ress, brother’s Hugo Jr. and Benjamin Ress, parents-in-laws Edward & Martha Harms, and brother-in-law Raymond Harms. Zita joined her family in heaven on July 4, 2024.

Private family services were held 11:00 Wednesday morning, July 10, 2024, at the Wayne Zion Lutheran Church rural Monticello with interment in the Wayne Zion Cemetery. Pastor Wade Reddy officiated at the services. Goettsch Funeral Home, Monticello received Zita and her family into their care. Thoughts, Memories and Condolences may be left at www.goettschonline.com.