Family remembers Marshfield, Mo., woman killed in weekend crash

MARSHFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - A family is mourning after a Marshfield woman was killed in a crash in Springfield over the weekend.

Rita Deckard died in a crash near Glenstone and I-44 on Saturday afternoon. Police say she was trying to make a left-hand turn onto I-44 when a Tesla driven by a 22-year-old crashed into her. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash is under investigation.

“I’m just at a loss for words right now. It’s just really hard, said Iesha Lafuze, niece to Rita Deckard.

Lafuze worked with Deckard at the Marshfield Dairy Queen.

“I was 15, and that was my first job ever. I went in there, and she instantly got me that job. We spent a lot of time together at Dairy Queen. One of my favorite things, she always she was big on the whole Christmas stuff. We always had fun doing, like putting everything all up together,“ said Lafuze.

She says Rita had such a joyful personality.

“She was a really amazing person. She was probably one of the most caring people you could have ever met in your entire life,” said Lafuze.

And a sense of humor people in Marshfield saw firsthand this summer. That is when her Dairy Queen took part in a “sign war” with other businesses in Marshfield.

“You couldn’t be surprised by anything from her. She was very funny. She had a really good sense of humor. And was very caring,” said Lafuze.

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