Martye Nienhaus

Margarita Carmen “Martye” Nienhaus, age 68, of Festina, IA passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 24, 2022, at the Methodist Hospital in Rochester, MN. Her memorial celebration will be held from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 28, 2022, at the Festina Community Center. Martye Lang was born on November 3, 1953, to Ingeborg (Reismuller) and Charles Lang – U.S. Army in Regesweiller, Germany. Martye grew up attending Army schools and was able to travel extensively in Europe as a child. Due to her father’s military service, Martye was able to cross the Atlantic five times by ship before the age of 14. Martye lived in numerous western states but adopted New Mexico as her home. She immersed herself in Native American and Southwestern food and culture. As a horse lover, she worked on thoroughbred racing farms in New Mexico, California, and Argentina. Her children, Billy and Cheyenne, brought much pleasure to her life. She loved attending dance classes and little league games. Martye and her children also enjoyed canoeing. Martye and Rick Nienhaus met in 1998 and were married in 2000. Their wedding was held in their remodeled barn. The celebration is still talked about to this day. Martye and Rick operated “Broken Arrows Riding Stable”, taking out riders from all around the world. In 2005, Martye and her family returned to her beloved New Mexico. She worked for several media outlets, including “The Gallup Independent”. Martye and her family travelled extensively, including much of Europe, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Vallarta (which was her favorite). When traveling, essential stops were historical markers, tourist traps, and anything Americana. She was always trying to find a unique or unusual restaurant, especially if they served green or red chili. She loved her day trips to the Mississippi, hunting morel mushrooms, and reading Tony Hillerman novels to her family. A recent high life for her was being kissed by one of the beach boys at a concert at the Surf Ballroom. Martye and Rick loved watching travel and cooking shows, hoping to visit every place they saw on TV. Martye was a true animal lover, especially her Dobermans and her Arabian Horses. Martye will be missed by all that knew her. Martye is survived by her husband, Rick Nienhaus, Festina, IA. Son: Billy (Guadalupe) Los Angeles, CA. Daughter: Cheyenne (Dustin) Loeffelhole, of Dyersville, IA. Grandchildren: Danuel, Jarod, and Emma. Mother: Ingeborg Crosby, Leavenworth, KS. Father: Charles (June) Lange, Oak Harbor, WA. Stepsisters: Christine, Theresa, and Becky all from Washington. Special cousin: Ingo Schusser, De Soto, MO. Close friend: Kathy Meyer, La Porte City, IA.