Margaret “Rusty” (Bossert) Porth, longtime resident of Calamus and DeWitt, passed away peacefully with family by her side on Dec. 5, 2024, at Vitality Senior Living in St. Simons Island, Ga.
Rusty was born May 26, 1929, in Lima, Ohio, the youngest of four children of John C. and Mary (Bunnell) Bossert. She grew up in Montezuma, Iowa, attended Iowa State Teachers College (now UNI) in Cedar Falls, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from Marycrest College in Davenport. Rusty taught grade school for many years in Calamus, Welton and Donahue.
In 1950, she married Merle Porth. Together they raised their four children on the family farm south of Calamus. They retired and moved to DeWitt in 1998, and enjoyed many of their winters in Apache Jct., Ariz. After Merle passed in 2010, Rusty continued to make her home in De Witt before moving into the Grand Haven Retirement Community in Eldridge in 2018. At the age of 93, she relocated to St. Simons Island to be near her daughter Barbara.
Rusty was an avid reader, quilter, bird watcher and gardener, creating beautiful, blue-ribbon arrangements from the flowers she grew in her backyard. She enjoyed the challenges of games and puzzles, especially jigsaw puzzles, cryptograms, Mexican Train dominoes, and computer bridge. She rarely missed watching Iowa Hawkeye basketball!
Those left to cherish her memory include sons Steven (Janice) of Franklin, Tenn., and Thomas of Steamboat Springs, Colo., daughter Barbara (Ralph) Nunn of Canton, Ga.; daughter-in-law Maureen Porth; grandchildren Erik (Ashley Stuart) Porth, Ryan (Amanda) Porth, Andrea (Randy) Dabriel, Madison Porth, Robert Porth, Mindy (John) Lawley, and Casey Nunn; great-grandchildren Brooklyn Porth, Maxwell Dabriel, Taylor Arnette Turner, Brady Arnette, Sebastian Nunn, and Elliott Nunn; special caregiver Ashley Gilbert; along with many nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband, Rusty was preceded in death by daughter Becky Thomas, brother John Bossert and sisters Mary Spies and Patricia Meyer.
The family requests that memorials take the form of contributions to Faith Lutheran Church, 505 2nd St., Calamus, IA 52729 or Grand Haven Retirement Community, 201 E. Franklin St., Eldridge, IA 52748. The family also wishes to recognize and thank the staff and nurses at Vitality Living, Frederica in St. Simons Island, and Hearth Hospice in Brunswick, Ga., for the wonderful care they provided Rusty during the last months of her life.
A celebration of life will be held at a future date.
Local arrangements are in the care of Schultz Funeral Home, DeWitt. Condolences may be expressed at www.schultzfuneralhomes.com.
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