Rhonda Lea Niehaus, 53, of Lisbon, Iowa, passed away on Sunday, July 20, 2025, surrounded by family.

Celebration of Life will be held from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., Saturday, July 26, 2025, at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services in Mount Vernon, Iowa.

Funeral Service will take place at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, August 9, 2025, at Immanuel United Church of Christ, Latimer, Iowa.

Rhonda was born on March 25, 1972, in Hampton, Iowa, the daughter of Roger and Patricia (Gruis) Meyer. She graduated from CAL Community High School in 1990 and went on to study Horse Science at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids.

Rhonda’s love for horses began in elementary school when a neighbor’s pony wandered onto her family’s farm in rural Latimer. She wanted a horse so badly that her parents helped her get a part-time job with Jim Dudley Quarter Horses, cleaning stalls and alleyways—hoping to show her the hard work involved in caring for them. Rhonda worked tirelessly, and Jim eventually rewarded her with riding lessons. She soon got her first horse, Jedi, followed by Windy, Annie, and Gus. From that point on, she was hooked—showing her horses in 4-H, FFA, AQHA, and Paint shows whenever she could.

In 1995, Rhonda met Jody Niehaus in Cedar Rapids. They married on June 19, 1999, in Latimer, and later built a home and life together in Mount Vernon and then Lisbon. They shared their love of horses with their sons, Tyler and Trever.

Rhonda ran a daycare in Mount Vernon for many years. Her deep love for children was evident in how she cared for them, often seen with her “little tribe” at the pool, the library, or walking around town. She later worked in the after-school program at Mount Vernon Elementary and at the Southeast Linn Community Center in Lisbon. Caring for others was second nature to her.

Rhonda was happiest on horseback, cheering on her sons at sporting events and rodeos, or simply spending time with her family and friends.

She is survived by her husband, Jody; sons, Trever and Tyler; parents, Roger and Patricia Meyer; sister, Jodi (Wayne) Hormann; sisters-in-law, Kelly Sankey (Jeff), and Tammy (Adam) Kaufman; brother-in-law, Lance Holm (Josh Brown); mother-in-law, Betty Holm; and nieces and nephews: Hunter Hormann, Garrett Hormann, Brady Maurer, Wally Kaufman, Reachal Kaufman, Kendrick Saulsberry, Kiara Saulsberry, and Kinley Saulsberry.

Rhonda was preceded in death by her grandparents, Otto (Irene) Meyer and Herman (Dorothy) Gruis Jr.; uncle, James Thompson, and father-in-law, Keith Holm.