Rita Jump

Monday, March 21, 2022 3:07 am

Rita Jump, age 73 of Decorah, passed away on Saturday, March 19, 2022 at her home.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, March 26, 2022, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1638 Big Canoe Rd., rural Decorah, with Rev. Nancy Solomonson presiding. Burial will be in the Locust Cemetery at a later date. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022 at the Helms Funeral Home, 604 South Ave in Decorah, and also after 10 a.m. at the church on Saturday.

Rita was the youngest out of three girls born Nov. 19, 1948, to Irene and Gerhard Groth in Decorah. She was baptized and confirmed at St John’s Locust Church. She attended the country school and then graduated from North Winneshiek. Rita then moved to Cedar Rapids, worked at Rockwell Collins for a while until she moved to Colorado with her parents.In Colorado Springs she meet & then married the love of her life Vernie Jump in 1972. After that the couple moved to Austin, Texas to start their life together. Few years later they settled in Roswell, New Mexico, where they had two beautiful daughters, Shelly Jump-Gerleman on July 20, 1975 and Christina Jump on March 28, 1978, soon after they would move back to Rita’s home town near Decorah.

Rita did many things in life including selling Sandak sandals, having a crafty store, making lollipops for all the kids, sewing & gardening. Rita worked at Ruby’s Restaurant, Casey’s General Store, Elaine’s & One Size Up and finally working for Camcar Textron the last 20 years before she was forced to retire due to her congestive heart failure. Rita then became a home maker, collector of frogs & shoes and an avid camper. On Friday nights you find them playing Euchre at the Bluffton store and then the rest of the weekend camping over the bridge with their friends Della & Kevin Whalen. Rita also loved garage sales, casino days with Della, and of course shopping at Goodwill or the Depo to get them good deals! She loved spending her free time with her rescue puppy, Gunny, who is a super overprotective dog when it came to Rita because they had a special connection and he held a special place in her heart, they were inseparable. Rita played a big part in helping her daughter’s raise five wonderful grandchildren, because she was a woman with a big heart and very family orientated. She was the best wife, sister, mother, grandmother, friend, or co-worker you could ask for. She wouldn’t want us being sad today, however she would want us to raise our margarita glass and celebrate what an amazing life she had.

Rita is survived by her husband Vernie Jump of Decorah; her two daughters: Shelly (Eric) Jump Gerleman of Mabel, Mn & Christina Jump (Ted) of Mabel, Mn. Two sisters: Gretchen Greenwaldt of Rochester, Mn & Elaine Anderson of Decorah IA. Five Grandchildren, Breyin Schultz (Connor) of Decorah, IA, Cheyenne Jump-Gerleman (Isaac) of Bettendorf, IA,Braydin Jump (Skye) of Mabel, Mn, Montana Jump-Gerleman, Mabel, Mn & Sierra Jump-Gerleman Mabel Mn, and many nieces and nephews as well.Rita was preceded in death by her parents Gerhard & Irene (Anderson) Groth. Her mother-in-law Lois Barger, three brothers in law, Eldon Greenwaldt, Richard Anderson, Larry Jump, one sister-in-law, Linda Jump and one grandchild, Devin Sobolik.