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Rita Mae Morlan, age 89, of Scranton, IA, passed away on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at Thomas Rest Haven in Coon Rapids, where she had been a resident for 2 ½ years.

     Funeral service will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, February 5, 2021 at the Church of Christ in Scranton with Rev. Bob McKnight officiating.  Organist will be Laura McKnight.  Casket bearers will be Joe Hill, James Whitver, Jason Venteicher, Brandon Hansen, Tyler Kytola, Tyler Rasmussen, and Josh Matics. Burial will be in the Scranton Township Cemetery.

     Visitation will be held at the church from 1:00-2:00 P.M. on Friday prior to the funeral service.

     Those in attendance at Rita’s visitation and funeral service are asked to abide by Covid-19 guidelines and facemasks are required at the church.

      Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Scranton and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com

     A recording of Rita’s funeral will be available on the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home YouTube channel within 24 hours of service and a link will be provided on her tribute page at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com

     Rita was born July 4 (yes, she was a little firecracker) 1931, in Jefferson, IA to Fred Elwin and Marguerette Grace (Peardon) Ayers. Rita met Carl Morlan on a blind date in 1950. Following a 3 week dating period and a 3 month engagement, Rita married Carl on June 8, 1950 at the home of Edward and Emma Burdine, sister to Carl. To this union, six children were born: Cathy Ellen, Connie Jean, Steven Dean, Gloria Ann, Donna Marie, and Jeffrey Alan. She has 9 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren.

      Carl and Rita farmed for many years in the Scranton and Ralston areas prior to retiring and moving to Scranton in 1991. Rita worked at the Ralston Co-op from 1949-1950 as a secretary. She started driving a school bus for the Glidden-Ralston school in 1970 and retired from that position in 1994. She also worked in the school kitchen and at the Dairy Mart in Glidden, at 3 different cafes, and cleaned houses during her career. She cherished the many students and families she met driving the school bus and was very proud of that vocation. She was a member of the Church of Christ in Scranton.

     Rita is survived by five of her children: Cathy (Kenny) Mooney of Jefferson, Steve (Jo Ann) Morlan of Glidden, Gloria (Mike) Hill of Roland, Donna (Robert) Vaughn of Waterloo, and Jeffrey (Tracy) Morlan of Ankeny; sisters Barb (David) Kalsem of Cambridge and Linda (Steve) Allen of Beebe, Arkansas;  brothers, Dennis (Helen) Ayers of Bayard and Fred Ayers of Glidden and a sister-in-law, Jan Ayers, of Lincoln, NE.

    Rita was proceeded in death by her parents, her husband Carl, an infant daughter Connie Jean, two sisters: Mary Weaver of Omaha, NE and Daisy Hanson of Springfield, MO; three brothers: Paul at the age of 3 near Bayard, Duane of Jefferson, and George of Lincoln, NE.