Mary Rita Beutel

Mary Rita Beutel, 89, of Davenport, died Thursday, December 1, 2022 at Genesis East, Davenport surrounded by family.

Funeral services and Mass of Christian Burial for Mrs. Beutel will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, December 9, 2022 at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, 4105 N. Division Street, Davenport. The Mass will be livestreamed by clicking the link below. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Davenport.  Visitation will be Thursday from 4 until 7 p.m. at the Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, Davenport.  There will be a prayer service at 4 p.m. to begin the visitation.  There will be additional visitation Friday at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the Mass. Memorials may be made to Jane’s Place at C.A.S.I. or Our Lady of Victory Parish.

Mary Rita Beutel was born on July 16, 1933 in Davenport, a daughter of Edward and Alma (Niebuhr) Kuemmerle.   She graduated from Immaculate Conception in 1951 and later from Marycrest College where she was president of the Delta Phi Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi and the vice president of Alpha Delta Theta. 

Mary Rita was united in marriage to her childhood sweetheart, Louis W. Beutel on September 4, 1954 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, Davenport.  They shared 55 years of marriage and memories together before Louis passed away on December 8, 2009.

Mary Rita’s first job out of college was as a medical technologist at St. Luke’s Hospital before her children came around.  In 1972, she joined her husband in the business her parents had taken over in the 1930’s, Art Stone Company.

Mary Rita and Louis were charter members of Our Lady of Victory Parish.

Mary Rita had a tremendous work ethic and continued to go to the office until her health declined.  She enjoyed caring for her yard, especially getting on her riding lawnmower.  She also enjoyed knitting, playing the piano, her monthly bridge and 500 card clubs, and travelling, especially to Branson, Missouri.

Survivors include her four adopted children and their spouses, Larry and Kim Beutel, Arizona, Jill and Dennis Erb, Harleysville, Pennsylvania,  Steven Beutel, Davenport and John and Terri Beutel, Davenport; her grandchildren whom she was so proud of: Chris and Craig Beutel, Ian (Karen Linn) Erb, Korey (Maria Lopez-Portillo) Erb, Bryan (Karissa) Beutel, Ben and Amanda Beutel; great-grandchildren: Chloe and Phoebe Erb, and Aiden and Jaxson Beutel, and a brother, James Edward Kuemmerle.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents.  May they rest in peace.

The Beutel family would like to thank the nurses and staff of Genesis East as well as Alyssa Donahue ARNP and Dr. Asner for the wonderful care they gave to Mary Rita.  They would like to thank all the wonderful people at Jane’s Place at C.A.S.I. especially Crystal, Dawn, Jazmine, Jamie, and Michelle.