Rita Joy Kruse White

Rita Joy Kruse White, 57, of Underwood, Wash., died from a stroke on Oct. 23, 2012 in Portland, Ore.

Rita was born March 1, l955 in Rawlins to Pauline and Ben Kruse, longtime residents of Saratoga.

After high school graduation in Saratoga, Rita received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Educational Foundations from the University of Wyoming.

Rita taught elementary school in Nampa, ID for 10 years and moved to Gillette where she met and married Dale White on Oct. 27, l995.

Rita and Dale moved to White Salmon, Wash., in l996 where she taught at the Alternative High School and as a substitute teacher at Columbia High School in White Salmon until her death.

In 2005, Rita and Dale moved to Underwood and began Underwood Alpacas, an alpaca ranch that has grown from six to 48 alpacas.

Rita was a lifelong lover of animals, beginning as a child collecting tadpoles, ducks, even raising white mice for the county fair. Her life was enriched with many pets over the years. She adored her alpacas, and three dogs, four cats and her horse, “Challenger” made up the rest of the animal family at the ranch.

Her horse Chally died just two weeks before Rita. He was 29 and Rita had owned him for 26 years.

Rita is survived by her husband Dale, brother Robert (Lola) Kruse of Broken Arrow, Okla., sister Dianne (Ken) Hickey of Nampa, Idaho and sister Sheila (Doug) O’Neil of Ucross, Wyo., and in-laws Randy and Bev White and Doug White of Gillette.

She is also survived by two nieces, four nephews and 19 great nieces and nephews.

Rita was was preceded in death by her parents and sister-in-law Pam White.

A Memorial Celebration of Rita’s life will be held at 10 a.m., June 23 at the Valley Chapel in Saratoga.

Local friends of the family are invited to attend.  Rita will be buried with her parents in the Saratoga Cemetery.

Teense Wilford of Saratoga will assist with the service and provide music.