Our Lord called Rita F. (nee Monfils) La Crosse home to heaven peacefully on June 29, 2020, surrounded by her family just in time for a birthday celebration. Rita, of Menomonee Falls, formerly of New Berlin died just 3 days short of her 91st birthday, at the age of 90. She was the youngest daughter of Constant & Mathilda (Fabry) Monfils Jr., born on July 2, 1929 in Rosaire, WI. She lived most of her life in the Algoma area, graduating from Algoma High School. On July 19, 1947 she married the love of her life, Norman J. La Crosse and remained happily devoted to him for 54 years, until his death on February 27, 2002.
They were members of Holy Apostles Catholic Church in New Berlin since 1962 when they moved to the area and she was always attending mass and praying the rosary. They owned and operated Jo Dee’s Drive Inn Restaurant (currently Armeli’s Restaurant) for 23 years in New Berlin, and later briefly ran My Mother’s Place Restaurant with their son, David. They raised all 5 of their children there and were very involved in the community. Both were long time members of the New Berlin Senior Clubs, with Rita being a past president. She was awarded the National Avenue Patriot Citizen Award in May of 2006.
Rita loved to trace her family roots and was able to trace her family tree back to 1500’s. In 1976 she organized a Monfils family reunion of more than 150 relatives in Green Bay, in honor of a newly married Belgian couple who came to the US on their honeymoon.
Besides genealogy, she had many hobbies: she was a huge reader, gardener, she painted ceramics, was in the Red Hat Society, loved to play cards and the piano.
Rita was the loving mother of: Larry, Robert, Dianne Schneider, David (Michele) La Crosse and Connie (Tom) Pinzl; grandmother of: Richard and Edward Schneider, Michelle (Raul Getino Diez) Pinzl, Stacie (Mathew) Haugen, Candace (Anise) Vance, and Venessa (David) Mead; great-grandmother of: Taylor and Laura Schneider, Carmen Otto, and Payton and Avery Haugen. She was further survived by one sister, Mildred (the late Robert) Haskins, one sister in law, Darlene (Frank) Koss and one brother in law Henry Kleikamp. She was also loved by nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by siblings: Alvin (Lucille) Monfils, Norman (Mayme) Monfils, Clara Monfils, Gertrude (Joseph) Charles, Doris (Clarence) Charles, and Delia Kleikamp; by one brother in law, Robert A. (Delores) La Cross and one sister in law, Judith La Croix; and by her husband Norman and a daughter in law, Jeanne Marie Herbst La Crosse. She is now enjoying dancing with her favorite dance partners, her sister Delia and her beloved husband Norman.
Visitation Thursday, July 2 at Holy Apostles Catholic Church16000 W. National Ave., New Berlin from 12:30 PM until time of Mass of Christian Burial at 1 PM. Internment to follow in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the family for a charity of their choice. Masses said in her name are also appreciated. The family wishes to thank Vista Pointe Assisted Living and Preceptor Hospice for their loving care of Rita in her later stages of Alzheimer’s.
