Rita S. Middleton

Rita Sue Middleton, 75, of Sedalia, passed away Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Boone Hospital in Columbia.

She was born March 27, 1950, in Tipton, the daughter of James and Elsie (Porter) Hohman.

On July 28, 1973, in Kansas City, she married Lynn R. Middleton. Together they shared 52 years of marriage and were blessed with two children.

Rita attended school in Kansas City and later studied at State Fair Community College and Central Missouri State University. She taught second and third grade at Lincoln Elementary School for 19 years and was affectionately known as “The Butterfly Teacher,” as she shared the life cycle of Monarch butterflies with her students, colleagues, family and friends.

Rita was especially devoted to her faith. She read her Bible, a special gift from her husband, daily and spent many years studying it closely, with a special interest in the Rapture in recent years. She was a member of Parkview Christian Church.

She was thrifty and enjoyed bargain shopping and couponing. She was an avid sports fan and enjoyed following the Chiefs, Royals, and Mizzou. More than anything, she valued time with her family and looked forward to daily conversations with her sisters and cousin.

Rita will be remembered as strong-willed, decisive, and full of humor. She enjoyed laughing and expressed her creativity through her artistic side.

Survivors include her husband, Lynn Middleton, of the home; two children, Heidi Maxwell, of Ballwin, and Seth Middleton (Ryan), of Chicago; two grandchildren, Cade and Ashlyn Maxwell; two sisters, Janice Phelps, of Columbia, and Peggy Davis, of Omaha; a brother, James Hohman, of Russellville; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Jeff Hohman.

The family will receive friends beginning at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 28, 2026, at Parkview Christian Church, with funeral services to follow at 11:00 a.m.

Burial will follow in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, south of Sedalia.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Parkview Christian Church.

Arrangements are in the care of Heckart Funeral Home.