Rita Marie Holt was born on Feb. 20, 1931 in Hollywood, and passed away at her daughter Beverly’s home in Stockton, on May 3, with her family at her side. She was 79 years old.

Rita and her family moved to Mariposa in 1969. She worked as a waitress, first at Del’s Restaurant which eventually became the Sugar Pine, the Snowline in Oakhurst and then at Ruby’s Restaurant until she became permanently disabled with scleroderma in 1987.

Her hobbies included working on her ranch and fully enjoying the country life. She had cattle, horses and other various farm animals throughout the years. She could be found with hay hooks in her hands, building fences or digging ditches. She thoroughly enjoyed life on her ranch and called it “God’s Country.” Rita was a hard worker every day of her life. Her ranch and her animals kept her going strong through all of the hard years. Her pride and her strong will to live drove her through all the years battling many health problems.

Rita was a wonderful mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother and “Nana.” She loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren very much. Rita was loved by many and will be remembered forever by all those dear to her. She will be missed. She was a very special person to many.

Rita was preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Marie During; brother, Richard During Jr.; son, Bob Holt; and grandson, Tommy Holt.

She leaves behind a sister, Jo Wolf; children, Karen and John Potton, Tim and June Holt, Steve and Laura Holt, and Beverly and Raymond Thatcher; 20 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on May 11, 2010. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Scleroderma Foundation.