Rita Kay Cook, age 88, of Hanover, IL, passed away Saturday, February 1, 2025, at the Galena Stauss Nursing Home, Galena, Illinois. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 22, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Elizabeth, with Pastor Mike Nesbit officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. A luncheon, provided by the Ladies Guild, will follow the service. Burial will be in Dubuque Memorial Gardens, Dubuque, Iowa. The family requests no flowers. A memorial fund has been established in Rita's name for, Safe Haven in Elizabeth.
Rita was born January 26, 1937, in Wards Grove Township, the daughter of the late LaVerne and Golda (Thomasson) Starr. Rita attended school in Lena, Illinois, graduating with the Class of 1954. She married Eugene Diestelmeier and they raised a family together. Rita later married Michael Cook on February 20, 1983, in Hanover, Illinois.
Rita volunteered as a leader during the time her daughters were in Girl Scouts. She worked man

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