In Memory of Rita Minto

April 29, 1957–March 19, 2016

We are very sad to announce the passing of our dear friend and talented miniaturist, Rita Minto. Rita joined NAME, the Omaha-Council Bluffs Miniature Guild, and the Shoe Box Bunch all in 2013. Even though she was only with us for a few short years, Rita made her mark on both of our groups, and we all loved her deeply.

The photo above was taken at a general OCBMG meeting in 2014, and our group was blessed to have Rita's mother, Theta, visit us at that time. We saw Theta again last year and were also treated to many visits from Rita's daughter, Sonia. With Rita, it was truly a family affair. Many of us miniaturists know that not every relative understands getting bitten by the Miniature Bug, but Rita's family fully understands -- and graciously joined us in the fun. Let's take a look back at some of those wonderful memories...

Below is a picture of Rita from Nebraska State Day 2014. She is busily working on her Create A Shop kit:

Here is Rita at the NAME Day event for 2014 when we made the Cozy Corner. I sat next to Rita that day, and she kindly allowed me to copy off of her. There was much giggling and silliness at this table:

Here is a picture of Rita and her daughter from Nebraska State Day 2015, when we made the Screened-In Porch:

Even though this photo is taken from the back, I'm including it because it's the last picture I have of Rita, and I can tell that she's smiling, which makes me so happy. This is from the 2015 OCBMG Christmas party, and she was so vibrant and cheerful that day. Her colorful head scarf matches her colorful, fun personality:

Rita was always very generous with her beautiful gifts to club members. Here is a holiday topiary she gave us at the Christmas party in 2013:

The bottom of the mini has Rita's signature:

This holiday wreath is from the Christmas party in 2015 (made along with Rita's daughter), and the blanket is from Nebraska State Day 2013:

This is my favorite Rita Minto creation -- the beautiful garden decoration that she and her mother gave to us for Nebraska State Day 2015:

It's made to be staked in the ground as outdoor decor, but I haven't "planted" mine yet. You can see how magical it looks standing up here:

Rita also participated in our miniatures display back in 2014 with this lovely heart box:

As you can see, Rita participated in so many of our events, and we're incredibly glad that we were able to have that time with her. It will be difficult to not have her smiling face at our gatherings in the future, but we will hold onto our warm memories and treasure her miniature creations.

On behalf of OCBMG and the Shoe Box Bunch, thank you, Rita (and family), for being a part of of our world!!

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If you'd like to see Rita Minto's official obituary, click HERE.