During the evening of January 13, 2022, Rita M. Steyaert, our loving mother and grandmother, returned home to be with her sweetheart, Franklin, and the many family members that preceded her. After a long goodbye due to the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, and her recent decline due to COVID-19, she is now free from the limitations that held her back in her last years.
Rita was born on September 1, 1934, in Great Falls, Montana to Matt T. and Marguerite Dunn Schmidt. She grew up on the north side of Great Falls and graduated from Great Falls High School in 1952. She worked at the Great Falls Clinic until her marriage to Franklin H. Steyaert in June of 1955. They came close to celebrating their golden anniversary, missing it by 2 years due to Franklin passing in March 2003.
Family was the primary focus of her life. She was an incredible mother and homemaker, and the supporting arm to multiple aunts and uncles in the extended family in the Cascade county area. She was a friend and a compassionate, nurturing, motherly influence to so many, a family that extends well beyond our direct kinships. A cancer survivor herself, she volunteered at the Columbus Hospital Radiation Oncology facility following Franklin’s treatment there and also at the Sletten Cancer Institute in radiation treatment and main patient waiting areas.
She is survived by her daughter Sherrin (Brad) Den Boer; and her sons, Gordon and Warren (Donna) with their son Brian. To read the complete obituary and share condolences, visit the Schnider Funeral Home website.
