Rita M. Stangler, 78, St. Stephen

June 23, 1937 - February 14, 2016

The Mass of Christian Burial for Rita M. Stangler, age 78 of St. Stephen will be 11:00 AM, Thursday, February 18, at the St. Stephen Catholic Church in St. Stephen. Burial will be in the parish cemetery. Rita joined her husband, Don, in heaven on Saturday doing what she always loved, feeding the birds. There will be a visitation from 4-7:00 PM, Wednesday, February 17 at the St. Stephen parish hall and again at 10:00 AM on Thursday. St Stephen parish prayers will be at 7:00 PM Wednesday at the parish center. Arrangements are being made by the Miller-Carlin Funeral Homes.

Rita was born June 23, 1937 in Holding Township to Thomas and Mary (Beam) Kantor. After attending school, she worked at the St. Cloud Hospital. She married Donald Stangler on June 26, 1965 in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Opole. The couple moved to Brooklyn Center where they lived for many years. She spent 40 years working at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale. She retired in 2005 and she and Don moved to St. Stephen so they could be closer to family. After retiring, she often visited her colleagues at North Memorial and would bring them treats. She had a charismatic personality, warm heart, and she was always on the go. She helped at Trobec’s Bar in St. Stephen where she loved to socialize with people. Rita and her sister, Sophie would go dancing every chance they could. She loved old time music, gardening, baking, fishing, watching wrestling and feeding the birds. She was a member of the St. Stephen Catholic Church.

Although she had no children of her own, she loved her nieces and nephews as if they were her own children. Rita will be missed by everyone whose life she touched. She is survived by her brothers Leo Kantor, St. Joseph; Sy (Rita) Kantor, St. Cloud; and Ed (Delores) Kantor, Holdingford; her nieces, nephews great-nieces and nephews; great-great nieces and nephews; and her many dancing friends.

Rita was heartbroken when her husband Don, of nearly 50 years, passed away last March. She is also preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Adella Bollig, Sophie Scepaniak, brothers Alois Kantor, Thomas Kantor Jr., and twins Viola and Vince Kantor.