Obituary of Rita Nadine Clauss

Rita Nadine (Easthouse) Clauss June 7, 1943-March 30, 2023

 

    Rita Nadine Clauss, age 79, passed away at her home in Albuquerque, New Mexico on March 30, 2023, the same day her husband died in 2019.

 

    Rita was born June 7, 1943, in Marshall, Minnesota to Seymour and Mildred (Zoss) Easthouse. She received her degree in education from Northern State University, Aberdeen, South Dakota. She taught at the high school in Rawlins, Wyoming and later in life she was a substitute teacher in middle school and high school grades. Rita was a lifelong learner and valued education.

 

    On July 3, 1966, she married Arthur Thomas Clauss. As joyful parents they raised one son, Tony. Arthur and Rita spent over 30 years owning and running their own businesses, including artworks on canvas (Western American Graphics), artworks on tile (Albuquerque A.R.T. Company), and printing southwest greeting cards (Saga Card Company). The family lived in El Paso, Texas, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Stigler, Oklahoma where Rita discovered she preferred rural living and her large garden.

 

    Rita lived her life with bountiful energy. She preferred optimism over pessimism and liked the feeling of a smile. Her motto was "Attitude is everything - pick a good one". Rita had a wonderful sense of humor and will be remembered as fun-loving and an instigator of mischief. She was a voracious reader, a prolific correspondent, and enjoyed the mental stimulation of crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and family history. Rita collected people and genuinely cared about their welfare.

 

    Rita was preceded in death by her father, Seymour, her mother, Mildred, her husband, Arthur, her sister, Janet and her brother, Seymour, Jr.  She is survived by her son, Tony, nieces and nephews, and many cousins and friends.

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