Rita Jarvis

Rita Jarvis February 18, 1933 - December 15, 2011

Rita B. Jarvis, age 78, of Faribault, passed away on Thursday, December 15, 2011 at her residence. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 139 Mercy Dr., Faribault. Interment will be at the Meadow Ridge Memorial Park in Faribault. Visitation will be held at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory in Faribault on Tuesday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. and on Wednesday for one hour prior to the services at the church. On Feb. 18, 1933, Werner and Margaret (Ruhoff) Otto of Foley, MN, welcomed Rita Berdina into their world. The devout Catholic family eventually expanded to nine childrensix daughters, three sons. Each Sunday the kids were scrubbed up, dressed in their Sunday best, and marched to church, filling up an entire church pew. In the lingering days of the Great Depression, Rita, being the oldest daughter, quickly learned to run a household. Her workload increased as baby after baby arrived. She made soap. She could single-handedly chase down a farmyard chicken, butcher it, and have it ready for the family to eat before the parents came home. Tender dandelion shoots from the backyard were standard fare for salads. During the summer, farm produce was the staple, the surplus put up for winter. Cabbage was sliced to make sauerkraut in large stoneware crocks. Her dad being restless, the family moved frequently, adjustments to new schools were many. At the height of World War II, Rita, ten years old, was sent to live with another family as there were too many mouths to feed. Although she had frequent weekends back home, Rita would forever hold a special place in her heart for the family that took her inthe Willie and Pat Cook family of St. Peter. Having faith, taking care of siblings, and learning to cook and sew prepared Rita for the years ahead. As she grew, Rita, brother Francis, and sisters loved to dance. They would drive from LeSueur to dances held at the KATO Ballroom and area dance halls. As fate would have it, she met and danced with Harlan Jarvis at Hardigger''s near LeCenter. He was on military leave. Rita and Harlan fell in love, married, and contributed mightily to the post-war baby boom with nine living childrensix daughters, three sonsthe Otto family pattern! As the babies kept coming, Harlan lovingly called their home "The Seventh Street Hatchery." Sadly, their marriage ran agroundbut with grim determination, Rita vowed to keep the entire brood under one roof. It was a proud day when she made her last mortgage payment for the house on Seventh Street. In

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