Rita Edland

Funeral Services for Rita Kay Edland, 51, of Medora, will be 1:30 p.m., Friday, January 3, 2020, at the Medora Community Center, Medora, ND. Burial will follow in the Medora Cemetery.

Prayer Service will be 6:00 p.m., Thursday, January 2, 2020, at Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson, ND. Visitation will be from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m, at Stevenson Funeral Home and continuing on Friday at 10:00 a.m. until service time at the Medora Community Center.

Rita Kay Edland (Vanvig) 51 was born on June 15, 1968 in Beach, ND. Rita passed away at Sanford Health in Bismarck on December 26, 2019 due to health complications.

She attended grade school in Fryburg and then when the family moved to the Vanvig ranch south of Medora in 1980, she attend Pelisser School and West River School and went on to attend Beach High School graduating in 1986. At the age of 13 she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, was treated and survived.

After graduating and working in Medora for the summers she attended Valley City State to further her education. She then began working at Pizza Corner Factory in Valley City for the next 18 years. While in Valley City Megan Leigh Markuson was born on February 9, 1997 to her and her first husband. Rita move back to Medora in 2014.

Rita always enjoyed being around her cat, reading any mystery book she could get her hands on and just hanging out watching a good movie. When she felt adventurous you could find her out fishing or out driving around the country side with her soulmate Gary, or you might just catch her out tearing up the dance floor. She was a wonderful Mother to Megan and someone you could always talk to about anything.

Rita met her soulmate Gary Edland in Valley City and was united in marriage on November 22, 2014 in Medora. In 2015 they moved back to Medora to enjoy life together. They had many memories in short time they had together.

When they moved back to Medora she began working at the Cowboy Hall of Fame which she really enjoyed up until she passed away.

Rita is survived by her husband Gary Edland, Medora; daughter, Megan Markuson, Valley City; parents Roger and Jeanie Vanvig, Dickinson; sisters Rhonda Lewellyn, Bismarck and Renae Praus, South Heart; nieces Kendra (Brian Larson) Lewellyn, Grand Forks; Taylor & Shalee Praus, South Heart; nephew Dylan (Kelsey) Lewellyn, Lincoln and several great nieces and nephews; step-son, Christopher Edland & Family, Grandforks; brother-in-law, Lawrence (Eillen) Edland, Mandan.

She is preceded in death by her Maternal Grandparents Elmer and Syliva Frampton, Paternal Grandparents Muggs and Shirley Vanvig, Uncles Bill Vanvig, Lloyd Frampton, Aunt, Audra King