Rita J. Dempsey

Heaven gained an angel on Septmber 18, 2018. Rita J. (Lund) Dempsey, passed away at her home in Carlin, Nevada. Rita was born to Peter and Dorothy Lund on March 16, 1936 on a ranch in Valetine, Montana. She was the fifth child in the family of five boys and three girls. At the age of three months, she moved to northern Idaho where she enjoyed helping her Mom and Dad on the farm. Rita began atteding elemetary school in1942 when she was six years old. She later went to school at Sandpoint High School in Sandpoint, Idaho. As a young girl she loved to spend her time sewing on her treadle sewing machine, making her own blouses. After the family got electricity in 1949, her mother bought her a Singer sewing machine, that she was still using today. She grew up fifteen miles outside of Sandpoint where she enjoyed life on the ranch and the occasional trip into town for a shopping trip to JC Penny, an ice cream cone and a movie.

Rita was an avid seamstress, making shirts for her husband, Glen, and two boys, G.Ernie and Peter Dempsey. She was a homemaker and loved spending time with her two grandchildren, Justin and Megan. She had been employed by the Eureka Producers Coop as a scale master. Being the adventurous soul she was, she spent shearing season helpinig Gracian Uhualde shear sheep. Rita loved to can fruits and with her collection of Santa Claus’s, it was no doubt that Christmas was her favorite time of the year. Her home was always decorated for the current holiday. In her spare time, she enjoyed the challenge of a good puzzle and one could always find a word puzzle that she was currently working on. No matter what she did, she did it with an open mind and a warm heart and give it her all every time. Her home and her family were her life.

She is preceded in death by her mother and father and four brothers and two sisters. She is survived by her husband Glen, two sons, Ernie (Linda) and Peter (Valerie; two grandchildren, Justin and Megan Dempsey and one brother, Rodney (Sonjia) Lund.

As per Rita’s request, there will be graveside services that will be announced at a later date. She chose to be cremated and buried at the family plot in Sandpoint, Idaho. In lieu of flowers all donations can be made to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, 100 North Mario Capecchi Drive, P O Box 58249, Salt Lake City, UT 84158-0249.