Rita Sophia Kongs Feldkamp, 97, Seneca, died on March 13, 2019, at the Life Care Center in Seneca.

She was born April 10, 1921 on the family farm, the fourth of Louis and Anna Kramer Kongs’ eight children. She grew up one mile east of St Benedict on the Kongs homestead, attended St Mary’s grade school, and graduated from St. Benedict’s High School in 1939.

After graduation Rita worked several years in Kansas City, Mo., for families with young children. While working for the McGreevy family in January 1947, she risked her life to save an unconscious 4-year old Gail McGreevy from drowning in a frozen pond.

On June 15, 1948, Rita married Conrad “Con” Feldkamp at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Seneca with her brother, Father Vincent Kongs, performing the ceremony. Rita and Con lived and farmed two miles east of Baileyville for over 55 years. Her beloved husband died December 2003. She was a caring and thoughtful person who loved nature, cherished children, and gave to family and friends the “golden egg” of kindness and delight.

Rita was a long-serving member of the Sacred Heart Altar Society where she was an officer and also sang in the adult church choir for many years. After moving to Seneca from the farm in August 2007 she attended Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church but kept her membership at Sacred Heart parish in Baileyville.

As an original member of the Happy Hours Club, Rita met monthly for over 60 years with the neighborhood ladies. Friendships within this roll call of neighbors lasted decades, including a close family connection with Lela Kongs Tangeman, both sister and neighbor. Her hobby was photography and compiling pictures of family and friends into individual family albums. Rita was fond of nature of all kinds and also enjoyed scrapbooking for many years.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by brothers Walter Kongs (1982); Father Vincent Kongs (1992); Donald Kongs (1997); Louis Kongs, Jr (2017); and by sisters Eulalia “Lela” Tangeman (2004) and Sister Susan Kongs, Community of St. Joseph (2012), Dorothy Ronnebaum (2017) and by twin grandsons John and Joseph Feldkamp (1968) and granddaughter Melissa Feldkamp (1980).

Four sons survive: Colonel (ret) Alan (Sandy) Feldkamp, Monument, CO; Duane (Marci) Feldkamp, Effingham, KS; Loren (Nancy) Feldkamp, Tonganoxie, KS; Brian (Joni) Feldkamp, Baileyville, KS; and Rita’s delight, 12 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

Rosaries will be prayed Friday, March 15 at 2 & 7 P.M. at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca. Mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at Sacred Heart Church, Baileyville.

Rita will be laid to rest next to her beloved Con at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Baileyville.

Memorials may be dedicated to the Sacred Heart Cemetery, Baileyville.