Obituary for Rhitta Ann Bounds
Rhitta Ann Bounds, 64, of Mitchell, passed away peacefully to her Lord and Savior on February 27, 2023 at Bergan Mercy Hospital in Omaha, NE with her loved ones by her side. Her memorial service will be held 10 AM Saturday, March 18, 2023 at Northfield Church in Gering, NE with Pastor Kiley Callaway officiating. It is respectfully requested that in lieu of any flowers, memorials in Rhitta’s honor be made in care of her family to be designated at a later date. Online condolences may be made by viewing her memorial page at www.jones-mortuary.com. Jones Mortuary in Mitchell is entrusted with arrangements.
Rhitta was born February 27, 1959 in Alliance, NE to William and Shirley Smith. Rhitta grew up and graduated from Mitchell High School in 1977. After graduation she went to work at Grampy’s Pancake House.
In 1982 she decided to join the United States Air Force. She entered Basic Training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas receiving the rank of Airman E-2. Rhitta was injured during training and received an Honorable Medical Discharge. Rhitta met and married David Bounds Sr. and they were transferred to Shepard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, TX where their first son, David Bounds Jr., was born. After David Sr. left the Air Force, they moved to Vallejo, CA where they welcomed their youngest son, James. Rhitta and her young sons moved back to Mitchell where she resided for the remainder of her life and raised her children with the help of her family.
Rhitta went into nursing at WNCC School of Nursing and became an LPN for RWMC for many years. After a back injury, she retired from nursing. She went back to college where she graduated from Chadron State College with a bachelor’s degree in education. She worked many years at WNCC with the TRIO Student Support Services as an Instructor and as an advisor for Phi Theta Kappa. Rhitta loved being a mentor, teacher and advisor. She loved helping her Veterans, her students and her co-workers and touched the lives of many who passed through her office door. Unfortunately ill health forced Rhitta to retire.
Through her ill health her faith kept her going and with the help of Pastor William Bibb she became an ordained minister, performing many marriages, funerals and services. Rhitta was also a proud member of Scotts Bluff County C.E.R.T. and the Mitchell American Legion. As part of her physical therapy, Rhitta and her sister Maurene, began designing wall hangings and necklaces. Rhitta called her special project “The Ties That Bind”. They sold them at craft fairs, giving all proceeds to charities including DOVES.
Rhitta dedicated her life to loving her family, especially her grandchildren, her friends and making others lives a little happier. She was known as the Sassy Mamaw, with spiked and highlighted purple/red hair, but mostly expressing with her faith and leading others to God. We will forever miss her.
Rhitta is survived by her sons David Bounds Jr. of Mitchell and James (Breanna) Bounds; grandchildren Sienna, McKenna and Declan Bounds of Gering; mother Shirley Smith of Mitchell; sisters Elaine Leonhardt-Rein of Morrill, Maurene Smith of Mitchell, her devoted caregiver; Life partner “Big Brat” Keith Radomski of Omaha; adopted son Charles Stackhouse of Scottsbluff; nephews Will (Kristin) Leonhardt of Mitchell and Matthew Theroux of Sacramento, CA; great nephews and niece Adrian and Kaleb Leonhardt of North Platte and Liz Batt of Gering; Aunt Mary Danforth of Fort Collins, CO; Uncles Burr Jamison of Ashby and Robert Jamison of Lake Ozark, MO and numerous cousins including Rose Hardy of Alliance.
Preceding Rhitta in death is her father; twin daughters Melissa and Genevieve; grandbaby Emery; brothers-in-law Larry Leonhardt and Stuart Rein.
Rhitta was born February 27, 1959 in Alliance, NE to William and Shirley Smith. Rhitta grew up and graduated from Mitchell High School in 1977. After graduation she went to work at Grampy’s Pancake House.
In 1982 she decided to join the United States Air Force. She entered Basic Training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas receiving the rank of Airman E-2. Rhitta was injured during training and received an Honorable Medical Discharge. Rhitta met and married David Bounds Sr. and they were transferred to Shepard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, TX where their first son, David Bounds Jr., was born. After David Sr. left the Air Force, they moved to Vallejo, CA where they welcomed their youngest son, James. Rhitta and her young sons moved back to Mitchell where she resided for the remainder of her life and raised her children with the help of her family.
Rhitta went into nursing at WNCC School of Nursing and became an LPN for RWMC for many years. After a back injury, she retired from nursing. She went back to college where she graduated from Chadron State College with a bachelor’s degree in education. She worked many years at WNCC with the TRIO Student Support Services as an Instructor and as an advisor for Phi Theta Kappa. Rhitta loved being a mentor, teacher and advisor. She loved helping her Veterans, her students and her co-workers and touched the lives of many who passed through her office door. Unfortunately ill health forced Rhitta to retire.
Through her ill health her faith kept her going and with the help of Pastor William Bibb she became an ordained minister, performing many marriages, funerals and services. Rhitta was also a proud member of Scotts Bluff County C.E.R.T. and the Mitchell American Legion. As part of her physical therapy, Rhitta and her sister Maurene, began designing wall hangings and necklaces. Rhitta called her special project “The Ties That Bind”. They sold them at craft fairs, giving all proceeds to charities including DOVES.
Rhitta dedicated her life to loving her family, especially her grandchildren, her friends and making others lives a little happier. She was known as the Sassy Mamaw, with spiked and highlighted purple/red hair, but mostly expressing with her faith and leading others to God. We will forever miss her.
Rhitta is survived by her sons David Bounds Jr. of Mitchell and James (Breanna) Bounds; grandchildren Sienna, McKenna and Declan Bounds of Gering; mother Shirley Smith of Mitchell; sisters Elaine Leonhardt-Rein of Morrill, Maurene Smith of Mitchell, her devoted caregiver; Life partner “Big Brat” Keith Radomski of Omaha; adopted son Charles Stackhouse of Scottsbluff; nephews Will (Kristin) Leonhardt of Mitchell and Matthew Theroux of Sacramento, CA; great nephews and niece Adrian and Kaleb Leonhardt of North Platte and Liz Batt of Gering; Aunt Mary Danforth of Fort Collins, CO; Uncles Burr Jamison of Ashby and Robert Jamison of Lake Ozark, MO and numerous cousins including Rose Hardy of Alliance.
Preceding Rhitta in death is her father; twin daughters Melissa and Genevieve; grandbaby Emery; brothers-in-law Larry Leonhardt and Stuart Rein.