Rita L. Nolte

Rita L Nolte lived the first half of her life in Saukville and Cedar Grove, WI. She graduated from Greendale High School in Hales Corners in 1952 and from UW- Milwaukee in 1955, with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. She married Dale R. Nolte in 1956 and taught for one year before leaving the work world to be a stay at home parent for her three children.

Rita never sat still, being a mainstay in her parent’s campground management from 1964-1973, an active elder in the Presbyterian Church, USA, and a member of the Hales Corners Garden Club among other community activities. When the family moved to Palmyra, WI in 1974, she learned to train young horses and progressed to showing her beloved paint horse, Tarzana; often trailering solo all over the Midwest.

After all their kids were off to college, Rita and Dale moved to Oconomowoc where she took a job at Rogers Memorial Hospital. There she found her greatest passion: rehabilitating and managing the hospital gardens. She made it her life’s work to return it to a place of order, beauty and peace. She also worked informally with several struggling teens, another of her passions, and is credited with some truly life-changing results.

Rita retired in 2014 at the age of 80.  She moved to her apartment at Cedar Crest in January of 2017 and found more gardens! This time she planted an area for her own rehabilitation and helped new resident gardeners get off to a good start. She also found many wonderful neighbors and service staff, a community of artists, and a solid support group of friends.

Rita is preceded in death by her parents, Donald and Esther Fischer, brother Roger Fischer and husband Dale Nolte. She is survived by her children Michael (Sheila End) Nolte, Timothy (Janet Delwiche) Nolte, and Michelle (Louis) Dennis, grandchildren Robin and Erin Dennis, Sawyer, Taylor and Katy Pence and beloved niece Sandra Hunter.

The family would like to express our sincere thanks to Cedar Crest, especially Kim on the ACRC staff, Jeff in the gardens, the housekeeping staff, and Sandy, RN. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to Mercy Hospice Services, especially her RN Becky who Rita considered a friend, and the weekend on-call nurse Melissa, who was FABULOUS to the end and beyond.

Rita’s soul was deeply connected to Native American cultures and spirituality. Please donate in her name to St. Labre Indian School at www.stlabre.org Too many children go hungry! We can make a difference.

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