Ann Christine Rupert

1951 - 2025

Ann Christine Rupert, age 74, passed away Oct. 25, 2025 under hospice care in St. Louis, Mo.

Born April 3, 1951, in Fort Madison, Ann was the daughter of Charles and Patricia Rupert. Ann graduated from Fort Madison High School, where she developed a lifelong passion for the Spanish language, fostered by her Spanish teacher and friend, José Pérez. Ann graduated from Simpson College in Indianola, with a degree in Spanish and English, and became a Spanish and English teacher herself, teaching students in Wilton, Iowa, Radcliffe, Iowa and later in the St. Louis area.

She later owned a floral shop, Shangri-La Flower Garden, in St. Louis and enjoyed making arrangements for her customers' special occasions. She created each one with great care, as if it were for herself. Ann had compassion for every living thing, down to the smallest creature. She would pull ants and wasps out of a swimming pool to save them, and capture spiders in her home and turn them loose outdoors. Ann deeply enjoyed classic rock and roll, especially the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Following the closure of her shop, Ann accepted an opportunity to teach adults Spanish at St. Louis Community College (Meramec). This was perhaps her favorite job, allowing her to teach Spanish to dedicated students. Ann befriended many within the Hispanic community and assisted them in translating English, obtaining medical care, and other aspects of daily life. Her most treasured enjoyment in life was attending the annual Mexican Fiesta in Fort Madison, where she proudly was given the recurring honor of presenting the "La Grita" (welcoming greeting) to kick off the festival.

Ann is survived by one sister, Janet Bassel (Ballwin, Mo.) and one brother, Craig Rupert (Richmond, Va.), one niece, Katie (Terry) of Maplewood, N.J., and one nephew, Scott (St. Louis, Mo.), one great-nephew (Sam) and one great-niece (Lucy). She was preceded in death by her parents.

Cremation will be performed by the Schrader Funeral Home and Crematory in Ballwin, Mo. Burial will be performed at a later date at Greenmount Cemetery in Quincy, Ill., where her parents and other relatives are also interred. Memorials have been established for the Fort Madison Mexican Fiesta (www.fortmadisonmexicanfiesta.com) and the Humane Society of Missouri (www.hsmo.org). The family would like to thank Ann's friends and relatives for their love, friendship and support throughout her life, and the staff at American House of Town & Country in Town & Country, Mo. for their care. As a service of the Schrader Funeral Home and Crematory, friends may sign the family's online guestbook at Schrader.com.