Rita Mary Jordan, 96, passed away at Fountain West Health Center in West Des Moines due to complications of a respiratory virus on Saturday, February 1, 2020.
Rita was born Marie Rita Desmerises Proulx on October 4, 1923, to Moise and Malvina (Laferriere) Proulx in Manchester, New Hampshire.
She is survived by her daughters, Linda (Jim) Bego of Ridgecrest CA and Darlene (Joe) Ackley-Raymond of Des Moines; her sons, Robert (Bobbie) of Strongsville OH; Randy (Cindy) of Des Moines; and Patrick of Phoenix AZ; son-in-law Steve Onder and 11 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by James Jordan, her former husband; daughter, Carol Onder; Pamela Jordan (wife of Patrick), and brother, O’Neil Proulx.
Rita was a survivor.
As a first generation US citizen born in New Hampshire, she learned English in school, worked in the factories with just a 10th grade education, married across the country in Tucumcari, New Mexico, moved to Libya, Africa, with four young children as a military spouse, raised six children, got her GED after the age of 50, and became a Psychiatric Tech at Broadlawns West.
Rita was a founding resident of Ligutti Tower and member of St. Ambrose in downtown Des Moines for 26 years.
She also made the front page of the Des Moines Register in 1997 under the headline–“Little Old Lady 1, Punks Nothing” having survived a daytime mugging downtown by three men in their 20’s.
Rita loved to travel after retiring, internationally and throughout the United States including cruises and seniors’ weekend bus trips to casinos.
We always told her jokingly that it must be “good to be the queen” and while at Fountain West, she was finally voted Queen for a Day in 2019.
A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, August 10, 2020, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in downtown Des Moines with Father John Bertogli officiating. More details will be forthcoming about the service and fellowship to follow. All are welcome.
As an expression of sympathy, contributions may be made to Suncrest Home Health and Hospice on Rita’s behalf. The family would like to express our sincere appreciation to the staffs of Fountain West Health Care and Suncrest Home Health and Hospice for their tireless care of Rita.
Arrangements By:
The Cremation Society of Iowa
Rita was born Marie Rita Desmerises Proulx on October 4, 1923, to Moise and Malvina (Laferriere) Proulx in Manchester, New Hampshire.
She is survived by her daughters, Linda (Jim) Bego of Ridgecrest CA and Darlene (Joe) Ackley-Raymond of Des Moines; her sons, Robert (Bobbie) of Strongsville OH; Randy (Cindy) of Des Moines; and Patrick of Phoenix AZ; son-in-law Steve Onder and 11 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by James Jordan, her former husband; daughter, Carol Onder; Pamela Jordan (wife of Patrick), and brother, O’Neil Proulx.
Rita was a survivor.
As a first generation US citizen born in New Hampshire, she learned English in school, worked in the factories with just a 10th grade education, married across the country in Tucumcari, New Mexico, moved to Libya, Africa, with four young children as a military spouse, raised six children, got her GED after the age of 50, and became a Psychiatric Tech at Broadlawns West.
Rita was a founding resident of Ligutti Tower and member of St. Ambrose in downtown Des Moines for 26 years.
She also made the front page of the Des Moines Register in 1997 under the headline–“Little Old Lady 1, Punks Nothing” having survived a daytime mugging downtown by three men in their 20’s.
Rita loved to travel after retiring, internationally and throughout the United States including cruises and seniors’ weekend bus trips to casinos.
We always told her jokingly that it must be “good to be the queen” and while at Fountain West, she was finally voted Queen for a Day in 2019.
A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, August 10, 2020, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in downtown Des Moines with Father John Bertogli officiating. More details will be forthcoming about the service and fellowship to follow. All are welcome.
As an expression of sympathy, contributions may be made to Suncrest Home Health and Hospice on Rita’s behalf. The family would like to express our sincere appreciation to the staffs of Fountain West Health Care and Suncrest Home Health and Hospice for their tireless care of Rita.
Arrangements By:
The Cremation Society of Iowa
Rita Mary Jordan, 96, passed away at Fountain West Health Center in West Des Moines due to complications of a respiratory virus on Saturday, February 1, 2020.
Rita was born Marie Rita Desmerises Proulx on October 4, 1923, to Moise and Malvina (Laferriere) Proulx in Manchester, New Hampshire.
She is survived by her daughters, Linda (Jim) Bego of Ridgecrest CA and Darlene (Joe) Ackley-Raymond of Des Moines; her sons, Robert (Bobbie) of Strongsville OH; Randy (Cindy) of Des Moines; and Patrick of Phoenix AZ; son-in-law Steve Onder and 11 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by James Jordan, her former husband; daughter, Carol Onder; Pamela Jordan (wife of Patrick), and brother, O’Neil Proulx.
Rita was a survivor.
As a first generation US citizen born in New Hampshire, she learned English in school, worked in the factories with just a 10th grade education, married across the country in Tucumcari, New Mexico, moved to Libya, Africa, with four young children as a military spouse, raised six children, got her GED after the age of 50, and became a Psychiatric Tech at Broadlawns West.
Rita was a founding resident of Ligutti Tower and member of St. Ambrose in downtown Des Moines for 26 years.
She also made the front page of the Des Moines Register in 1997 under the headline–“Little Old Lady 1, Punks Nothing” having survived a daytime mugging downtown by three men in their 20’s.
Rita loved to travel after retiring, internationally and throughout the United States including cruises and seniors’ weekend bus trips to casinos.
We always told her jokingly that it must be “good to be the queen” and while at Fountain West, she was finally voted Queen for a Day in 2019.
A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, August 10, 2020, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in downtown Des Moines with Father John Bertogli officiating. More details will be forthcoming about the service and fellowship to follow. All are welcome.
As an expression of sympathy, contributions may be made to Suncrest Home Health and Hospice on Rita’s behalf. The family would like to express our sincere appreciation to the staffs of Fountain West Health Care and Suncrest Home Health and Hospice for their tireless care of Rita.
Arrangements By:
The Cremation Society of Iowa
Rita was born Marie Rita Desmerises Proulx on October 4, 1923, to Moise and Malvina (Laferriere) Proulx in Manchester, New Hampshire.
She is survived by her daughters, Linda (Jim) Bego of Ridgecrest CA and Darlene (Joe) Ackley-Raymond of Des Moines; her sons, Robert (Bobbie) of Strongsville OH; Randy (Cindy) of Des Moines; and Patrick of Phoenix AZ; son-in-law Steve Onder and 11 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by James Jordan, her former husband; daughter, Carol Onder; Pamela Jordan (wife of Patrick), and brother, O’Neil Proulx.
Rita was a survivor.
As a first generation US citizen born in New Hampshire, she learned English in school, worked in the factories with just a 10th grade education, married across the country in Tucumcari, New Mexico, moved to Libya, Africa, with four young children as a military spouse, raised six children, got her GED after the age of 50, and became a Psychiatric Tech at Broadlawns West.
Rita was a founding resident of Ligutti Tower and member of St. Ambrose in downtown Des Moines for 26 years.
She also made the front page of the Des Moines Register in 1997 under the headline–“Little Old Lady 1, Punks Nothing” having survived a daytime mugging downtown by three men in their 20’s.
Rita loved to travel after retiring, internationally and throughout the United States including cruises and seniors’ weekend bus trips to casinos.
We always told her jokingly that it must be “good to be the queen” and while at Fountain West, she was finally voted Queen for a Day in 2019.
A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, August 10, 2020, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in downtown Des Moines with Father John Bertogli officiating. More details will be forthcoming about the service and fellowship to follow. All are welcome.
As an expression of sympathy, contributions may be made to Suncrest Home Health and Hospice on Rita’s behalf. The family would like to express our sincere appreciation to the staffs of Fountain West Health Care and Suncrest Home Health and Hospice for their tireless care of Rita.
Arrangements By:
The Cremation Society of Iowa
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