Rita Katherine Nothwehr

Rita Katherine Nothwehr, passed away on September 3, 2026, at Kavanagh House Hospice on 56th in Des Moines, Iowa. She was born on October 22, 1932, in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Rita will be remembered as a woman who enjoyed life’s simple pleasures and the activities that brought people together. She loved cooking and sharing that gift with others. She was also a talented painter, and her work earned her several awards and recognitions at the Iowa State Fair over the years. Rita enjoyed bowling and golf, as well as fishing and hunting. She loved competitive family pitch games and had a special fondness for all things Arizona. In her younger days, she found great joy in being part of the Flying Hoofs horse riding group.

Family was an important part of Rita’s life. She is survived by her sons, Art Kirk of West Des Moines and Joe (Kathy) Kirk Jr. of Urbandale; her stepdaughter, Sandy (Brett) Harvey of Blue Springs, Missouri and six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. May her memory continue to live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Larry Nothwehr; by her parents, Richard and Catherine Stuhrman; and by her brothers, Richard and Robert Stuhrman.

A celebration of life to honor Rita will be held at a later date.