Rita Weatherbee, age 66, of Pierre, South Dakota, died on Sunday, September 1, 2024 at her home in Pierre.
Visitation will begin at 5 p.m. (CDT) on Friday, September 6, at the Bridge Wesleyan Church (107 E. 7th St.) in Pierre.
Funeral services will be held 6:00 p.m. (CDT) on Friday, September 6, at The Bridge Wesleyan Church.
A second service will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 7, at the Interior Community Center, with visitation one hour prior.
Graveside services will follow at the Interior Fairview Cemetery.
Rita Renee Lange was born on February 26, 1958 in Kadoka, South Dakota to JoAnn and Larry Lange. She attended elementary school in Interior, SD, Lovell, WY, Canyon City, CO, Midland, SD and attended junior high and high school in Ft. Pierre, SD. She graduated from Stanley County High School in 1976. Shortly after that, she studied at the Pierre Clerical Program and began working for the State of South Dakota, where she worked for twenty-seven years with the Bureau of Administration, Department of Public Safety, Department of Transportation, Department of Social Services and Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism, where she finished out her career. She worked at various positions – Clerk Typist I and II, Port of Entry Inspector, Word Processor I and II, Administrative Assistant I and II. She spent much of her working career at Tourism and Economic Development and very much enjoyed the work and her co-workers there.
In 1977, she married Dennis Earl Towers, Jr. and to this union one daughter, Amber Jo, was born. In 1982, she married Gregory Jerome DuBois and together they had two daughters, Angel Marie and Arin Joelle.
In 2007, after leaving employment with the State of South Dakota, she relocated to Rapid City, South Dakota to work for InterTribal Bison Cooperative. Shortly after moving, she met and married Albert Weatherbee. They relocated to Virginia. They returned to South Dakota six months later, where in 2012, they again relocated to Virginia, returning to South Dakota after nine months due to Albert’s relocation to North Dakota. Rita returned to her position with InterTribal Bison Cooperative. They remained in South Dakota where they enjoyed their retirement years spending time with children and grandchildren.
Rita’s hobbies were writing, reading, and hiking. One of her biggest accomplishments was having one of her stories published in Chicken Soup for Soul-Grandparents. She especially liked spending time with her grandchildren. She enjoyed hanging out with close friends and spending time with her sisters and their families. She loved and missed Christmas time at her mom’s for all the great food, family fun and crazy gift basket. Rita loved sharing real life stories with her friends and making them laugh. She enjoyed all her travels with her husband, Al, and thanks to him was able to visit thirty-nine states. Her writing was her main passion, besides raising her three beautiful daughters.
Rita is survived by her husband, Albert Weatherbee, three daughters, Amber Jo Towers of Brookings, SD; Angel and Tyler Nemec of Midland, SD; Arin and Brent Diedrich of Pierre; two step-sons Jim Weatherbee and Paul Cronin of Los Angeles, CA; and Tom Weatherbee Inthnoi of Dallas, TX; her sisters and their husbands Carrie and Brad Neuschwander of Broussard, LA; Melinda and Thad Olson of Mitchell, SD; brother Larry Joe Lange of Scotland, SD; and sister Heather Temich of Wyoming. Grandchildren Baine and Michael Towers, Nancy, Emily and Joseph Petersen of Brookings, SD; Gunner, Brinlee and Slade Diedrich of Pierre, SD; Tukker, Emry Jo, and Ky Nemec of Midland, SD; and Lucas Inthnoi of Lubbock, TX and Dominique Inthnoi of Abilene, TX. Great-grandsons Jack and Kashton Towers of Brookings, SD.
Rita is preceded in death by her mother and step-dad JoAnn and Frank Sell; grandparents Helen and Bruce Dunker and Willard and Agnes Lange, father Larry Louis Lange; and her niece Aimee Renee Lange.
Arrangements are with Rush Funeral Home of Philip.
