Rita R. Osgood

Rita (Hardie) Osgood of Park Rapids, MN, formerly of Sioux Falls, SD, peacefully entered eternity with her Lord and Savior on December 10, 2023. Rita was born in Sioux Falls to Ruth and Virgil Hardie on April 12, 1943. She graduated from Washington High School, attended Dakota Wesleyan College in Mitchell, SD, and earned her degree from Morningside College in Sioux City, IA. Prior to her senior year in college, Rita married the love of her life, Wally, on August 23, 1964. Their union of over 59 years was a testament to a profound friendship and deep soul connection. After college, they embarked on a journey that took them to Milwaukee, WI, where Rita served as a Christian Education Director at a local church. After a brief period in Milwaukee, WI, Rita joined the Women’s Army Corps, where she graduated at the top of her class and attained the rank of captain. Her military service was marked by dedication, although much of her time was spent in and out of the hospital. Following their time in the army, Wally and Rita relocated to Des Moines, IA, where their son, Eric David, was born. They later moved to Pipestone, MN, and then to Sioux Falls, where Chad Thomas joined the family in 1973. In Sioux Falls, Rita became a dedicated leader in various ministries, including the Christian Women's Club, Bible Study Fellowship, Sioux Falls Christian School board, and refugee support. Rita worked alongside Wally in his accounting practice, with an inside joke that she did all the work while Wally received all the credit. In 2011, they began their well-deserved retirement and settled into a serene lake home in Park Rapids, MN, where they cherished reading, actively participated in church and community service, and formed enduring friendships. In more recent years, they found warmth in the winters spent in Mesa, AZ. Rita is preceded in death by her parents, Virgil and Ruth, an older infant brother, Virgie, and a younger brother, David. She is survived by the joys of her life: her beloved husband, Wally, her sons, Eric (and Jeanne) and Chad (and Christine), and their five grandchildren, Jake, Ethan, Kate, Tyson, and Maddie, all residing in Minneapolis. Rita is also survived by her sister-in-law, Luann Hardie of Mitchell, SD, and sister-in-law and husband, Karen and Tom Cowley of Tiburon, CA, along with four nieces and a nephew. 

Celebrations of Rita's life will be held on Thursday, April 25th at Abiding Savior Free Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, SD and on Saturday, April 27th at Jones-Pearson Funeral Home in Park Rapids, Mn. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made in honor of Rita to a charity of your choice or to The Gideons International.