Funeral Mass for Rita Pederson, 92, of Sisseton, SD, will be held on Tuesday, September 13, 2016
at 10:30 A.M. at St. Peters Catholic Church, Sisseton, SD with Rev. Fr. Jerry Ranek Celebrant. Organist will be Colette Hull with special music by Sandi Jaspers and Julie Pederson. Pallbearers will be Greg, Jeff, Mark, Tim, Paul, and Ryan Pederson. Honorary pallbearers will be all of Rita's grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. There will be visitation on Monday, September 12, 2016 at the Cahill Funeral Chapel from 2:00 P.M to 5:00 P.M. then from 6:00 P.M. until 7:30 P.M. at St. Peter's Catholic Church with a Prayer Service at 7:30 P.M. Interment will be in the St. Peter's Catholic Cemetery, Sisseton, SD. The Cahill Funeral Chapel, Sisseton, SD is in charge of funeral arrangements.
Rita was born December 3, 1923, in Newton Grove, North Carolina, to parents Thomas Frederick and Lillian Langston Gregory. Rita grew up with six siblings on a tobacco farm near her hometown. She attended school at St. Mark's Catholic Church until her graduation in 1944. After high school, Rita lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Portsmouth, Virginia, working at various jobs until she got a full-time civilian job as a file clerk at the Norfolk Naval Base. She loved her job and was very well-liked by all of her coworkers. She had a wonderful view of the docks where the ships would come and go.
On Memorial Day 1946, Rita met her husband, Raymond "Pete" Pederson , whose ship, the USS Idaho, happened to be docked in Portsmouth at the time. They soon married on August 23, 1946, in Charleston, South Carolina. After a brief stay in Baltimore, Maryland, Ray and Rita traveled to Sisseton in October 1946, with plans to meet Ray's family and visit for awhile before returning to North Carolina to make their home near Rita's family. Rita soon realized how deep her new husband's roots were in South Dakota, and she couldn't imagine Ray living anywhere else. They made Sisseton their permanent home where they raised eight children and were very active in various civic, community, and church activities. At the time of her death, Rita had lived in Sisseton for 70 years.
Rita grew up a tomboy and always preferred the outdoors over being inside. She loved tending her vegetable gardens, flower beds, and doing yard work both at home and at the cabin on Clear Lake. Rita was an incredible cook, seamstress, and homemaker making sure her family was always well fed and dressed nicely. Rita's family was always her top priority. She always put her husband's and children's needs before her own in everything she did.
Rita was an active member of the the Sunshine Girls Extension Club, St. Bernadette's Altar Society, Sisseton Chapter of Right to Life, VFW and Legion Ladies' Auxiliaries , and the Red Hat Society. She also faithfully supported Ray when he served as a Sisseton City Council Member, Mayor of Sisseton and Commander of both the American Legion and VFW.
When stuck indoors, Rita loved to read books and newspapers, bake goodies, write her memoir, visit on the phone, play cards, watch the news and scrapbook newspaper articles.
Besides being a full-time homemaker, Rita worked side by side with Ray building several rental homes in Sisseton. She loved every part of the homebuilding process from drawing up the plans on paper to the tiniest finishing touches. She also served as property manager and "chief financial officer" of their successful rental business.
In their retirement, Ray and Rita loved to travel to visit friends and family taking several road trips across the country. The cabin on Clear Lake was their "Heaven on Earth."
Rita loved to socialize and spend time with others. She especially loved telling stories about her childhood in North Carolina. She was quick-witted and loved to laugh and tell jokes. Her favorite place was anywhere with her family.
Rita is survived by her sons, Greg (Julie) Pederson of Canby, MN; Jeff Pederson of Canby, MN; Mark (Donna) Pederson of Eagan, SD; Tim (Peg) Pederson of Brookings, SD; Paul (Amy ) Pederson of Canby, MN; and three daughters, Sandi Mack of Mukilteo, WA; Mary Ann(Todd) Laubach of Lakeville, MN; and Paula (Troy) Erickson of Brookings, SD. Rita is also survived by 19 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and one great- great-grandchild.
Rita was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond Pederson, a daughter, Mary Kay: a son, Ronnie; grandsons, Craig Alan Pederson, Alan Theodore Pederson, and Kristofer William Mack.