Rita Renee Bruns was born Aug. 24, 1953, to LaVon Rathman in Atlantic, Iowa.
She attended Anita High School, graduating in 1971. On May 3, 1976, Rita was united in marriage to Gary Bruns at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Anita, Iowa. Rita was a daycare provider running a daycare from her home for many years. In her free time, she enjoyed crafting, reading, games and puzzles. She especially enjoyed spending time with her family. Rita passed away June 15, 2026, in Lincoln at the age of 72.
She is survived by her children, Jennifer (Brian) Frisbie of Kearney and Jessica Bruns of Lincoln; granddaughter, Kelsey (Alex) Jenkins of Bellevue; great-grandson, Barrett Jenkins; step-great-grandchildren, Sophia Jenkins and Waylon Jenkins; siblings, Barb (Barry) Faga of Illinois, Bruce Taylor of Oklahoma, Rodney Petersen of Iowa, Rachel (Garry) Swedlund of Oklahoma, and Teresa Ramsey of Iowa, sister-in-law, Rosemary Jalas of Iowa and many nieces and nephews.
Rita was preceded in death by her mother, LaVon Rathman; and stepfather, Tony Petersen; husband, Gary Bruns; parents-in-law, Elmer and Viola Bruns and brother-in-law, Duane Jalas.
A gathering of family and friends will be Sunday, June 21, from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. at Volzke Funeral Home. The funeral service will be Monday, June 22, at 10:30 a.m. at St. John Lutheran Church in Seward with committal at the Seward Cemetery.
Arrangements by Volzke Funeral Home.
