Rita McGuire (1920-2006)

MCGUIRE, NOLAN, DONAHEY, RIGGS, PETERSON, PIPER, VENRICK, FORRISTAL, ROHRET

Posted By: Ames Tribune
Date: 12/23/2006 at 16:05:54

THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Saturday, December 23, 2006.

Rita McGuire
April 21, 1920-Dec. 21, 2006

Rita McGuire, 86, of Eagan, Minn., and formerly of Holstein, died Thursday, Dec. 21, in Omaha, Neb. At the time of her death, she was at Mike and Anne McGuire's home surrounded by her loving family. She moved to Omaha in September to receive care for pancreatic cancer. Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Holstein, with the Rev. David Hemann officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in Holstein.

Donahey was born April 21, 1920, in Guthrie County, the seventh and youngest child of Rose Nolan (1878-1964) and John Joseph Donahey (1872-1940). She was raised on her mother's farm near Panora, graduating in 1937 from Panora High School and from University of Iowa with the class of 1942. She worked as a secretary at the FBI Chicago Regional Office, leaving that post in 1945 to accept a teaching position at Holstein High School. From 1945 to 1947 and again from 1966 to 1985 she was a teacher at Holstein. She treasured her students and their accomplishments. During her career, she also taught at Pierson and Cushing high schools. She attended postgraduate classes in French and library science from 1962 to 1968 at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Morningside College in Sioux City and University of South Dakota in Vermillion.

Donahey joined in marriage with Pat McGuire, of Holstein, Oct. 12, 1946, at Guthrie Center. To this happy union seven children were born. Donahey and Pat raised their young family and operated the farming and hog-buying business from their home west of Holstein in Douglas Township and later in Cushing. From 1960 to 1961, they resided in Sioux City. In 1962, the family returned to the farm in Douglas Township, later moving to Holstein.

After her retirement from Holstein High School in 1985, they moved to Okoboji where they resided until Pat's death in 2001. Donahey and daughter Colleen (1954-2001) moved to Ames in 2001 to be near daughter Sheila and Scott Riggs for Colleen's hospice care. In 2005, she moved to Eagan, Minn., to live with Sheila and Scott Riggs. After Pat's death and throughout her various moves, she continued to manage the family farms.

She loved her family and instilled in each of them her deep faith and her love of education, politics and farming. A lifelong Democrat, she was vice chairperson of the Ida County Democrats from 1965 to 1975. She continued her belief in the Democratic party ideals all her life, giving special support to women choosing to run for office including daughters Kathleen and Sheila and daughters-in-law Anne and Andy.

Survivors include three daughters, Mary Peterson and husband Marc, of Algona, Kathleen Piper and husband Jim, of Omaha, and Sheila Riggs and husband Scott, Eagan, Minn.; and three sons and their wives Michael and Anne, of Omaha, P.J. and Amy, of Federal Way, Wash., and Daniel and Andy, of Des Moines. She will also be missed by 19 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; in-laws, Jim McGuire, of Holstein, Mary Venrick, of Sioux Falls, S.D., Celia and Pat Forristal, of Holstein, and Dorothy Donahey, of Panora; and numerous Donahey, Rohret and McGuire nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m., with a rosary at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 26, at the Barker Funeral Home in Holstein.

Memorials may be directed to Galva-Holstein School Library, Cushing Public Library, Hillary Clinton for President and Girls and Boys Town in Omaha, Neb.

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