Rita F. (Epley) Spannagel

Rita F. Spannagel, 96, passed away Saturday February 22, 2025 at 4:34 pm at Hickory Estates in Taylorville, Il with her family by her side.

Born December 6, 1928 in rural Nokomis IL to Lester and Caroline (Hoehn) Epley. She married Joseph D. Spannagel, from Tolono IL, on November 18, 1961 at St. Louis Catholic Church in Nokomis. Rita graduated from Nokomis High School in 1946, graduated from Eastern Illinois University Charleston in 1950 with her bachelor’s degree, and graduated from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana in 1960 with her Masters Degree.

Rita taught a total of 38 years, she began as an English teacher and then 25 of those years as a Special Education Teacher in Monroe Center Il, Mattoon Il, Champaign Il, and Gillespie Il. In August of 1970 she and Joe moved to rural Nokomis where they farmed. She loved to garden and had a huge vegetable garden every summer. She was a member of St. Louis Catholic Church, the CCW, and Delta Kappa Gamma since 1961. She also delivered Meals on Wheels and was a member of the Montgomery County Farm Bureau, Illinois IRTA, and MCRTA. She was also a breast cancer survivor. She loved her family and her grandchildren and was very strong in her Catholic faith.

She and Joe loved traveling, going to Europe twice, many casino trips to Las Vegas, Tunica, and St. Louis. She enjoyed doing crossword puzzles, watching the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Fighting Illini Football and Basketball teams.

Rita is survived by a daughter, Jill (Duane) Whitney, of Springfield; two grandchildren, Devan Whitney of Springfield and Olivia Whitney of St. Louis; siblings, Berniece Tuetken, of Hillsboro, Mary Ann (Kent) Stortzum, of Dietrich, Ruth Herpstreith, of Nokomis, Barbara (Dan) Drewes, of Chatham, and Leo Epley, of Washington, IL; and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her son, Joseph Spannagel Jr.; siblings, Louis Epley, Lorriane Hallford, Kenneth Epley, Robert Epley, Rose Marie Clavin, and an infant sister Marie.

Visitation will be held Friday February 28, 2025 from 9:30 until 11 am at St. Louis Catholic Church in Nokomis. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 am at the Church. Internment will follow at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Tolono, IL.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Louis Catholic Church or St. Louis Catholic School.

Online condolences may be made at stiehldawsonfh.com. Stiehl-Dawson Funeral Home in Nokomis is in charge of arrangements.

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