Rita Lois Jacobs

     Rita Lois (Sowder) Jacobs, 87, of Chillicothe, Missouri, passed away peacefully at her home on August 15, 2025, under the care of Shirkey Hospice of Carrollton.

     Rita was born on August 4, 1938, at her grandparents Robert and Lula Grace Sowder’s country home in Ludlow, Missouri, to Fred and Madelyn (Harriman) Sowder of Joplin, Missouri. Her childhood was filled with travels across the country, as her father’s construction work on Army and Air Force bases often took the family east, south, and west. They journeyed in an old Pontiac, with Fred’s toolbox and Madelyn’s sewing machine and rocking chair strapped to the roof. When it came time for schooling, the family returned to Missouri, where Rita graduated from Laredo High School.

     After graduation, Rita moved to Kansas City and began working at BMA Insurance in Kansas City. While living with her aunt and uncle, she and Deane Jacobs continued to date and the two were married on June 30, 1957, beginning a partnership of love, faith, and hard work that lasted 67 years.

     The couple first lived in Kansas City before moving in 1958 to a farmhouse near Meadville, Missouri, that had no modern conveniences. It was there they raised their two children, Randall and Debra, and spent 13 years building their home and family. In time, they moved to a modern house and later purchased a farm on the Livingston/Linn County line near Chula, Missouri, where they built a home and continued farming together with their son and daughter.

     Rita was a member of the First Baptist Church Meadville. She became an active member of the Extension Club in Meadville in 1958 and remained a member for the rest of her life. Her passion for service led her to hold offices within the Missouri Extension Council, which allowed her to travel across the United States and even abroad to New Zealand—a trip she cherished and often recalled with joy. She was deeply proud of her contributions to the council and the friendships she made along the way.

     Life on the farm kept Rita busy, but she always found joy in creating for others. She loved cooking, and her handmade quilts were gifts of love that she shared with family and friends so that they would always feel her embrace wrapped around them.

     After Deane’s passing in 2024, Rita remained in their family home until early 2025, when she moved to a townhouse in Chillicothe.

     Rita is survived by her son Randall Jacobs of Kansas City; daughter Debra Jacobs (Kathy) of Niceville, Florida; grandsons Brandon Lantz (Andrea) and Nicholas Jacobs, both of Kansas City; five great-grandchildren—Madison, Adrianna, Mia, Amelia, and Sophia; sisters-in-law Connie Sowder and Pauline Wells; as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, and friends.

     She was preceded in death by her husband, Deane Jacobs, her brother Jerry Sowder, her brother-in-law Forest Wells and her parents.

     Visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at Heritage Funeral Home. Funeral services will follow at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at Meadville Baptist Church, with burial at Ricket Cemetery in Chula, Missouri.

     Memorial contributions may be made to Ricket Cemetery and left at or mailed to Heritage Funeral Home, 3141 Washington Street, Chillicothe, MO 64601.