Obituaries & Guestbook

Rita Mae Ertl (nee Petrie, a.k.a. “Teach”) passed away quietly at the age of 82 on Saturday, June 4th surrounded and held by several family members and friends. Rita was the oldest of the famous “Petrie Dozen” from Sheboygan Falls, daughter of Bertha and Irving.

Nothing was ever wasted in a family of 12, and Rita’s penchant for finding hidden treasures and “things with potential” persisted throughout her life. Lovely things were alive to her, and if they weren’t lovely when she found them, she made them so. Almost every member of the family has at least one cardboard box decorated with a collage of pretty pictures from old magazines, calendars, and greeting cards. Even her cobwebs were transformed with a dusting of glitter. She made everything sparkle.

Rita’s ability to see “inner beauty” extended to people. She never judged a book by its cover and gave everyone, including perfect strangers, the benefit of the doubt. As a result, she was surrounded by a truly unique group of friends, from the long-haired and befeathered members of “Canada’s All-Indian Band” the Chieftones to devout churchgoers and lonely singles … and whoever her younger siblings (and later daughters) happened to drag in from the cold. Her heart and hearth were always open.

Rita spent several of her school years at a Catholic convent in St. Francis, WI. Unbeknownst to her at the time, her future husband, Andrew Ertl, was spending his time at a seminary in Fond du Lac, WI, studying to be a priest. Had fate not intervened, Rita and Andrew’s two daughters, Kristyn and Jessica, would not have entered this world, nor would their five beautiful grandchildren, Isabella, Andrew, Evelyn, Alice, and Liam.

Rita transitioned from potential nun to beloved schoolteacher, a career she maintained in one form or another until retirement. Even after retirement, she continued to volunteer at elementary schools to “keep herself young.” She loved creating games, projects, and bulletin boards that were both fun and educational – no boring “pictures of the presidents” for her. To keep her own mind sharp and spirit content, Rita enjoyed crosswords and word searches, jigsaw puzzles, coloring books, and rousing games of Scrabble and Yahtzee with whoever she could coax into playing. Her perfect penmanship was legendary.

Nurturing came naturally to Rita, whether it was children, houseplants, a garden, or pets. She loved waking up with a bunch of sleeping cats (or grandkids) on her bed. She was a great listener, and always ready with a warm, perfumed hug. Though not a fan of cooking, she did love to bake, and sing old movie songs while doing so – her favorites were from West Side Story and the Sound of Music. Sometimes “dinner” was a big bowl of corn popped in bacon grease. On the best days, it was her homemade chicken soup and a dessert made with rhubarb from the garden. She had an entire room devoted to sewing, with mounds of clothes to mend, Butterick patterns, and plenty of polyester double knit for pants.

Rita loved being outdoors and supplied the local birds, butterflies, and squirrels with plentiful food all year long. Her arms were always brown in the summertime from hanging clothes on the clothesline. She marveled at the fall colors every year and had fond memories of ice skating with her siblings in a neighbor’s field when she was growing up. She adored all spring flowers – tulips, daffodils, fragrant hyacinths, lilies of the valley, and the blue carpet made by stars of Holland before the grass takes over. Christmas was treasured, as it afforded her the opportunity to spend time with her large and gregarious family, wear sparkly things, and stay “until the last dog was hung.” She was very much like her mother in that regard: She didn’t want to miss out on anything! Rita loved taking trips with her siblings to “see the sights” (and maybe hit a garage sale or five).

Rita joins her mother and father (Bertha and Irving), husband (Andy), daughter (Jessica), brothers (Tony (“Buddy”) and Adrian), and sister (Marlene) in the starry heavens, carried by birds and butterflies and lifted by the love of all who knew her. She is survived by her sisters Mary Ann, Karen, Bonnie, Donna, Maureen, and Darla, brothers Daniel and Dennis, and her daughter Kristyn.

Arrangements for her cremation have been made by the funeral home. Visitation will be held at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, 818 Huron Ave., Sheboygan on Thursday, June 9, starting at 11:00 a.m. until the time of Mass at 12 noon. Fr. Norberto Sandoval will officiate. Online condolences may be expressed at www.reinboldfh.com.