Neva Ann Hampton

Neva Hampton, 86 of Collins, Iowa passed away on Monday, December 22, 2025, at Rolling Green Village, Nevada, under the care of St. Croix Hospice. Visitation will be 10-11 a.m. on Friday, December 26, 2025, with her funeral service following at 11 a.m. all at Rasmusson-Ryan Funeral Home, 1418 Fawcett Pkwy, Nevada with Chaplain Bella DeVille officiating. Interment will be at Eden Cemetery, Rhodes.
Neva Ann Rankin was born June 4, 1939, in Green Castle, the daughter of Carl and Nora Rankin, the youngest of 13 children. She grew up on a farm in rural Jasper County by the Skunk River in the Mingo area. Her family was very musical, playing & singing Blue Grass & Country Music all the time.
She married Sylvester Novotny on August 31, 1956, in Iowa City, & moved to St. Louis, MO shortly after. They had six children & later divorced. She moved back to Iowa & lived in Iowa Center to be close to family. Later she moved her family to Melbourne, & then to Rhodes, where she lived for 44 years.
It was when she worked at a Collins Diner that she met the love of her life, Norman L. Hampton. They married on April 2, 1977, in Rhodes & would have celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary in the spring of 2026. In 2014 they downsized and moved to Collins.
Neva enjoyed playing guitar and singing as often as she could, involving her children each singing their own song. She was an avid gardener, growing all sorts of fruits & vegetables to make jellies, jams, pickles, & canned most of her family's food including beef & chicken. She loved to sew, crochet, and embroidering, making beautiful quilts, pillowcases, dresser scarves, & clothes. She enjoyed antiquing & collected beautiful glass. She also loved to color & spent her later years coloring beautiful pictures for her children and grandchildren.
She is survived by her loving husband of 48 years, Norman; four daughters, Arlene (Mike) Wenzel of Marshalltown, Cindy (Wes) Landis of Eldora, Mary Prescott of Ankeny, Laura (Randy) Davis of Jewell, one son, Steven, of Fort Scott, KS; 17 grandchildren, Joel & Jeremy Lane, Becky DeBower, Ryan & Tanner Wenzel, Jonathan, Courtney, & Cody Landis, Stephanie Fontes, Amanda Campbell, Jessica Coomer, Danielle Prescott-Clark, Zachary Davis, Jessica Franzenburg, Melissa Davis, Phillip & Nic Potter; 33 great grandkids, Brandon, Morgan, Tessa, Lily, Evelyn Lane, Andrew & Samuel DeBower, Claire & Brynleigh Wenzel, Isabella, Victoria, Aaden, Ahnna & Cade Landis, Sean, Natalie & Hannah Fontes, Alyssa & Aiden Coomer, Jordan & Bentley Kline, Asher & Aspen Shuey, Ryan & Nathan Davis, Maggie & Lydia Franzenburg, Austin & Hayleigh See, Shaylea, Sky, Zoe, & Emma Potter; three great-great grandchildren, Addison & Oliver Lane, & Shawn Potter; numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
She is preceded in death by her parents; 12 brothers & sisters, Grace Perin, Thelma Gauch, Evelyn Hays, Vurl Rankin, Marion Rankin, Marjorie Martin, Harlan Rankin, Carl Rankin, John Rankin, Ralph Rankin, Bonnie Hardy, & Billy Rankin; & daughter, Susan Good.
Rasmusson-Ryan Funeral in Nevada has been entrusted with caring for Neva and her arrangements. Condolences may be shared with the family online at www.rasmussonfh.com.