Rita Marie (Richmond) Hansen-Gisi

Rita Marie Hansen-Gisi, 83, of Aberdeen, passed away Sunday, November 3, 2019, at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen. 

Mass of Christian burial will be 10:00 a.m., Thursday, November 7, 2019, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 409 2nd Avenue NE, Aberdeen, with Father Michael Griffin, Celebrant.

Burial will take place at 1:30 p.m., at Mount Hope Cemetery in Frankfort, SD, with Father Tom Hartman officiating.

Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, is in charge of arrangements.  

Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., Wednesday, at the mortuary, with a liturgical wake service beginning at 7:00 p.m.  Visitation continues one hour before Mass at the church on Thursday.

Family and friends may sign Rita’s online guestbook and also view her service via the live stream service link at www.schriversmemorial.com.

Rita Marie Richmond was born August 8, 1936, in Redfield, SD to Ernest and Rose (Lutter) Richmond.  In her younger years, she attended school in Zell, SD.  Because her father served in the military, the family lived in various places including Spearfish, Redfield, and Rapid City, South Dakota and also in Texas.

Rita married Alvin Hansen at Redfield, SD on November 28, 1952.  The couple made their home on a farm in rural Turton, SD.  They were married almost 32 years before Alvin passed away in August of 1984.  Rita remained living on the farm for several years following Alvin’s death.   

Rita was united in marriage to Sebastian Gisi on October 10, 1992.  They made Aberdeen their home and shared just short of 25 years of marriage before he passed away in September of 2017.   Rita continued to reside in Aberdeen until the time of her death.

In her spare time, Rita enjoyed working in her gardens, baking, crocheting, and square-dancing.  She especially enjoyed the many trips she took with Sebastian to Alaska to halibut fish.

Blessed to have shared in Rita’s life is her son, Jim (Judy) Hansen of Turton, SD; her daughter, Connie (Roger) Vande Pol of Watertown, SD, two grandchildren, Craig (Ashlee) Hansen and Melissa (Josh) Underberg, both of Turton; five great-grandchildren:  Harper and Hayden Underberg and Tayber, Brech, and Chet Hansen; her sister, Annette Thayer of Iron Mountain, MI; her brother, Richard (Liliane) Richmond of Junction City, KS; her sister-in-law, Lila Hansen of Turton; her step-grandchildren: Gail (Ron) Britz of Blaine, MN, Jolene (Joe) Jungwirth of Redfield, SD, Jodene (Jerry) Van Dam of New Richmond, WI, Tamra (Rick) Brown of Belle Plaine, MN, Jeanette (Mark) Hahler of Aberdeen, Kevin (Karla) O’Daniel and Darren (Tonya) O’Daniel, both of Zell, SD, Justin (Natalie) Stemper of Los Angeles, CA, Bobbie Lerew of Aberdeen, Tara (Dan) Esser of Redfield, SD, Carson (Robyn) Stemper of Aberdeen, Chad (Michelle) Stemper of Hartford, SD, Brenda Gisi of San Jose, CA, and Brian Gisi of Orlando, FL; several step-great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; and her “special daughter”, Hanni, her foreign exchange student from Germany.

Rita is preceded in death by both of her husbands, Alvin and Sebastian; her parents, Ernest and Rose; one sister, Barbara King; and one step-son, Lyle Gisi. 

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