Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Monday, June 22, 2026 at St. Lawrence Church – St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Fr. Timothy Schott. Concelebrant will be Fr. Craig Collison. Homilist will be Fr. Thomas Hart. Music will be by Kathy Halbur and Sherry Loughran. Lectors for the Funeral Mass will be Julie Venner and Jeff Frazier. Gift Bearers will be Justin Venner and Jacqueline Venner Senske. Casket Bearers will be Steve Smith, Stuart Smith, Justin Venner, John Venner, Jake Venner, Nick Frazier, and Chane Venner. The Breda American Legion Auxiliary will form an honor guard for the Funeral Mass. Burial will be at 2 p.m. at St. Bernard’s Cemetery in Breda.

A visitation will be from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll with a Christian Wake Service at 5 p.m. Additional visitation will be from 9:30-10:15 a.m. on Monday at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left at the funeral home or the church for Garden View Assisted Living. Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for the Venner family at www.sharpfuneral.com.

Rita was born on May 23, 1931, to Nick and Ella (Fendrich) Wittry of Maple River. She married Paul Venner on January 24, 1951. Rita dedicated her life to faith, family, farming, and community service. Alongside her husband, she operated a family farm, raising corn, soybeans, cattle, and hogs while raising eight children.
After retiring from farming, Paul and Rita traveled to more than 50 countries. Excursion highlights included Africa, Brazil, Peru, Egypt, New Zealand, Finland, Russia, Croatia, and Hungary.

Rita was committed to her church, her family, and her community. She was an active member of St. Bernard Catholic Church and its choir. She was also active in the Catholic Order of Foresters and the Secular Franciscan Order. She was a dedicated member of the Breda Legion Auxiliary. Rita was proud of her efforts with the St. Anthony Regional Hospital Foundation, contributing to the expansion of healthcare services in the Carroll area.

Her commitment to service extended throughout Carroll County and across Iowa. Rita spent 30 years as a 4-H leader and served on numerous boards and committees, including the Extension Advisory Board and county and state fair 4-H judging committees. Rita also dedicated many years to Farm Bureau leadership at the county and state levels. She served on policy and legislative organizations, including the Governor’s Renewable Fuels and DNR Environmental Protection Committee.

A proud member of the Iowa Master Farm Homemakers, her pantry was always stocked with homemade cookies and bars. Rita spent countless hours at her sewing machine. She was a talented seamstress who gifted many quilts and wall hangings. She shared her love of sewing by teaching quilting classes independently and for Memory Lane in Denison.

Rita opened the Venner home to several exchange students from France and Germany, a scientist from Monsanto, and a young farmer from Hungary. Most impactful was Diane Gordan Johnson from Canton, Mississippi, in 1968.

Rita is survived by her devoted husband, Paul, of Carroll; twin sister, Anita (Joe) Tegels of Carroll; children: Jim (Becky) Venner of Breda; Elizabeth (Tom) Kurt of Ames; Tom (Julie) Venner of Boone; Dale (Kimi) Venner of Cedar Rapids; Joan (Jeffrey) Frazier of Ackley; and Mark (Robin Pruisner) Venner of McCallsburg; son-in-law Frank Smith of Missouri Valley; grandchildren: Steve (Beth) Smith of Council Bluffs; Stefanie Smith of Des Moines; Stuart (Kat) Smith of Huntington Beach, California; Justin (Jessie) Venner of Carroll; Jacqueline (Nick) Senske of Roland; Kelly (Corey) George of Plant City, Florida; John (Adrienne) Venner of Methven, New Zealand; Jacob (Stephanie) Venner of Andover, Minnesota; Channelle (Andrew) Tyrrell of Cedar Rapids; Chane (Darcy) Venner of Chama, New Mexico; Nick (Ella) Frazier of Omaha, Nebraska; Ella (Clay) Holden of Norwalk; Rachel (Nelson) Zach of Anita; and 17 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by daughters Sue Yarbrough in 2006 and Chris Smith in 2007; parents Nick and Ella Wittry; brothers Louis, Carl, and Lawrence (Lucille) Wittry; sister Marie (Robert) Glass; parents-in-law Steve and Mary Venner; and sister-in-law Eugenia (Gene) Tolle.