Rita Desrosier

Rita Marie Desrosier, age 72, of Crookston, MN, died early Friday morning, May 31, 2013, at the Altru Hospital in Grand Forks. Rita was the daughter of Harvey and Florence (Audette)Normandin, and was born at Red Lake Falls, MN on October 15, 1940. She grew up near Huot in Red Lake County and was baptized and confirmed at St. Dorothy's Catholic Church. Rita attended country school through the 8th grade and graduated from Lafayette High School in Red Lake Falls in 1959. Her first employment after high school was as bookkeeper for Saul Motors in Crookston. She later began working as a bookkeeper for Polk County Social Services. On April 29, 1972 Rita was united in marriage to Donald Desrosier at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Crookston. The couple made their home in Crookston all their married lives and together raised two children, Marie and Joseph. Rita continued her employment with Social Services until retirement in 1998. In semi-retirement she spent 9 years working at the Crookston McDonald's, and for the last 6 years, to the present time, had been cheerfully greeting arriving customers at the local Walmart. Rita enjoyed the opportunity of seeing and visiting with people she had known all her life, and was always making new friends. She was a longtime parishioner of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and a member of the Funeral Guild. She and Don were very active in AFRAN, sponsor of a festival held every fall in Huot Park and celebrating the French culture. She enjoyed embroidering and making dish towels. Don and Rita were devoted to one another, and it wasn't very often away from work that you would see one without the other. She took great joy in helping family, friends and neighbors, and was a very special person who will be very lovingly missed by all whose lives she touched. Rita leaves her beloved husband of 41 years, Don; her daughter and son-in-law, Marie and Jeff Travis of San Antonio, TX; her son, Joseph "Joe" Desrosier of Crookston, MN; two grandsons, Kody and Kaiden Desrosier of Crookston; a sister, Yvonne Stich of O Fallon, MO; several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Gloria Elmer of Chippewa Falls, WI, Elaine Sylvester, Bonnie (Jim) Sullivan, Lucia (Dennis) Swenson, and Linda (Ron) Lanctot of Crookston, Linus (Cathy) Desrosier of Red Lake Falls, MN, Rose (Ken) Rustad and Anna (Bryan) Viddenof Fargo, ND, Carol (Roy) Schatschneider of West Fargo, ND, Charlotte Mohs of Virginia, MN, and Stanley (Dee) Desrosier of Roosevelt, MN; together with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents; and 4 brothers-in-law: Adolph Stich, Harold Elmer, Dale Sylvester, and Richard Mohs. May God bless the memory of Rita Marie Desrosier. The Mass of Christian Burial for Rita Desrosier will be held at 2:00 pm, Wednesday, June 5, 2013, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Crookston, with Msgr. RogerGrundhaus, presiding, and Deacon Dennis Bivens, homilist. Visitation will at the Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home on Tuesday from 5-7:00 pm, with a 7:00 pm prayer service, and at the church for one hour prior to the funeral. Interment will be in the Calvary Cemetery, Crookston.

















Funeral Home: Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home 615 South Minnesota Street Crookston, MN US 56716

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Previous Events

Visitation
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Service
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
cemetery
Wednesday, June 5, 2013