Rita Luther

Rita Mae Luther (Whiteman) passed away peacefully at home with family present on June 8, 2026 in Rochester, Minnesota. Rita was born on April 22, 1935 in Battle Creek, Michigan to her parents Ruth Wilda Garrett and Alva Wilson Whiteman. Rita grew up in Augusta, Michigan and she graduated high school from Nazareth College in 1953. During her time at Nazareth, she joined the Catholic religion. After high school she moved to Washington, DC to work in the Navy Department at the Pentagon. This is where she met Martin James Luther and they were married October 29, 1955 at St. Rita’s church in Alexandria, Virginia. Martin and Rita had four children: Mary Joanne Tempelmeyer, Robert Wilson (Vicki Steinberg), Jeanette Ruth (Paul Daugherty), and Patricia Sue (Clayton Arndt). In 1966, Martin and Rita moved the family from Virginia to Miami, Florida. Rita worked for several companies in Miami as an NCR machine operator. In 1985, Rita and Martin moved to Ft. Pierce, Florida. Rita retired from the Visiting Nurses Association as an ICD9 medical coder in 2005. After retirement, Rita’s hobbies included genealogy and knitting. Rita took up ballroom dancing and made her own ballroom gowns. She was proud to dance in the Ohio Star Ball.

Rita enjoyed art and drawing. In 1979, Rita envisioned and created her most treasured achievement called “His Loving Smile” which is a portrait sketch of Jesus with a warm, inviting, loving smile on his face. Rita also wrote a poem to accompany the drawing.

In 2011, Rita fell ill while visiting her daughter Mary and ended up moving to Texas where she resided until 2015. She and Martin divorced after 58 years of marriage in 2013.

In 2015, Rita relocated to Rochester, Minnesota, eventually moving into her daughter, Patty and her husband, Clayton’s home. Her days in Rochester included knitting hats and scarves for the homeless and the Women’s Shelter. She eventually switched over to making toe warmers/cozies for those who have a cast on their foot. She loved watching musicals and old western TV shows. Her treasured movies included her favorite movie stars like Gordon MacRae, Dale Robertson, Dan Dailey, Michael Landon and Robert Preston. She was a big fan of Doris Day, Mitzi Gaynor and Shirley Jones.

In August 2020, Martin moved into Patty’s home where Martin and Rita resided within the same household again. Martin passed away in 2024.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters (Roberta Jean and Ruth Ardell); her grandparents Charles Russell Garrett & Pearl A. Storr and Isaac Wilson Whiteman & Elnora Mae Williams and her ex-husband Martin James Luther.

She is survived by her four children and seven grandchildren – Joshua Wilson Luther, Jillian Faith Tempelmeyer, Scott David Arndt, Thomas Whiteman Daugherty, Andrew (Martin) Arndt Vinski (Kellie Vinski), Stephen Johnson Daugherty, and Matthew Robert Luther.

A graveside service will be held at Fairview Cemetery in Erie, Pennsylvania on June 23, 2026 at 10:00 am.

In lieu of a funeral service, Rita asks that you have a Mass said in her memory. Instead of flowers, donations can be made to St. Pius X Catholic Church in Rochester, Minnesota for the kitchen project, or donations can be made to the Wounded Warriors Project.