With profound disappointment, we announce the passing of Rita K. Lay, on July 26, 2021. She was a devoted spouse, a loving mom, grandmother, and wonderful grandmother, and a loyal good friend to all those whose life she touched. After a long struggle with Alzheimer’s, she died peacefully with her relatives bordering her in appreciate. She was 73.
Rita was born Aug. 3, 1947, to Arland and Florence Herried, in Viroqua, Wis. She was an only baby and grew up on the spouse and children farm so she was a tough farm female. Rita graduated from Viroqua Large Faculty in 1965, and then headed to Madison to go to company school, wherever she graduated the next year.
In 1969, Rita and her best friend Mary determined to depart their long term to fate when they closed their eyes and pointed to a random area on the map, which despatched them to Denver, Colo. This proved to be of terrific importance, as she satisfied Freddie there in 1970. Rita discovered from a mutual friend that Freddie was a number of years younger than her, so Rita told him that she was only 20 a long time outdated when they initial satisfied (she was 23). Freddie was now aware of her age nevertheless, so he assumed he’d consider to beat her at her personal sport and tell her that he was only 17 (even nevertheless he was 19). This was the starting of a amazing everyday living, complete of humor, that Rita and Freddie developed together!
Rita and Freddie had been married Nov. 20, 1971, in Viroqua. Freddie was in the Air Pressure at the time, so they moved to St. Petersburg, Fla., in which their to start with kid, Shannon, was born, on Oct. 18, 1972. They moved to Viroqua in 1973, immediately after Freddie was discharged, and on June 23, 1976, their second little one, Kimberly, was born. In 1982 the loved ones moved to St. Croix Falls. They observed themselves residing in this kind of a wonderful neighborhood on Moody Road and created speedy lifelong buddies with all of the neighbors there.
Rita expended a ton of her time supporting her girls at sporting events, although they ended up nonetheless in university. Family was everything to her, and she and Freddie could be observed cheering on the sidelines on nearly every single solitary event. There was not just about anything that could acquire them absent from supporting their loved ones! When Rita wasn’t on the sidelines, you could likely obtain her on the golf training course. She was element of a great team of women that golfed in league, and she and Freddie golfed together on couples league, and on most Sundays with each other. Rita also cherished to sing! She was a component of a lot of choirs throughout her life span, and you could normally obtain her singing in the car or truck, even if she didn’t know all of the words. Mostly, we keep in mind Rita buzzing or singing whilst she was strolling about the home, usually when snapping her fingers. She experienced this sort of a joyful soul!
Rita held many positions around the several years, but the one that she was the most proud of, was becoming a Qualified Health-related Assistant (CMA). She went back again to university at the age of 53 to attend Wisconsin Indianhead Specialized Higher education (WITC) and graduated with her CMA Certification in 2001.
In Rita’s later several years, she generally appreciated sitting down on the patio with Freddie and watching deer whilst obtaining a bonfire, playing playing cards, tending to her flowers, or seeing the birds. One time, Rita attempted to preserve a hummingbird that had crashed into the patio window, by providing it CPR! (Her household beloved to recount that story and tease her about it a bit!) She and Freddie invested a great deal of time on their motorcycle too. Rita definitely beloved acquiring on the bicycle with him! If they weren’t on their bicycle, they were being in all probability adhering to their grandchildren to their sporting events, carrying on the tradition of creating it to most of their gatherings, just as they experienced carried out with their have little ones, several many years ahead of.
To know Rita, was to love her. She experienced the most stunning smile, and these kinds of an infectious chuckle! You’d normally be the recipient of a contact on your arm, if you were being sharing a conversation or a giggle alongside one another. It wasn’t as well usually either, that you’d wander absent from her without receiving a hug! She beloved to make persons truly feel special, crucial, and liked.
In the words and phrases of Mother Teresa, “Spread love almost everywhere you go. Enable no a single ever arrive to you with out leaving happier.” We are confident that Rita lived this out, each individual solitary day of her lifetime. If we could all be additional like Rita, this environment would be a improved location. Do a little something sort for anyone today, in honor of Rita.
She was preceded in demise by her mom and dad, Arland and Florence Herried.
Rita is survived by her husband Freddie Lay, her daughters Shannon (Jon) Jacobson, and Kim (Robert) Olson. Her grandchildren McKenzie Fortier, Jacob Peper, Emily Olson, Maggie Olson, and Mattea Jacobson, and her good grandson Archer O’Halla.
A celebration of lifetime will be held Aug. 7 at 11 a.m., at the Grandstrand Funeral Dwelling in Osceola with a visitation starting up at 9:30 am. Luncheon to follow at the Dalles dwelling in St. Croix Falls.
