Rita Herold

Rita Marie (Moore) Herold was born on June 26, 1944, to Francis and Gladys Moore, in Oak Creek, Colorado. The family resided on a ranch outside of Yampa, Colorado. Rita attended school at Yampa Union High until the schools consolidated, graduating from high school in Oak Creek (Soroco). Following high school, Rita married Carl Herold in 1962. Together they had two children.

Rita and husband Carl lived and operated a multigenerational ranch NW of Yampa, Colorado. Rita’s passion for both agriculture and history developed early in life as she grew up on the ranch listening to the stories of the area told by her father, grandfather and uncles.

Rita graduated from Utah State University with a bachelor’s degree in education. She taught grades kindergarten through twelfth and worked as an adjunct history teacher for both Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC) and Colorado Mountain College.

Rita was active in the community both at a local and state level. She served as a longtime club, county, and state 4-H leader and Routt County Fair Volunteer. She has been a board member and volunteer in the Cattle Women’s Association, served long-term on the Routt County Preservation Board and active with the Yampa-Egeria Historical Society. Rita wrote two published books, Yampa Valley’s Lost Egeria Park and Hidden History of Routt County. Rita received the 2022 Leckenby Award for contributing to Routt County’s preservation of history.

Throughout her life she enjoyed family, being a grandmother, ranching, history, reading, photography and painting.

Rita is proceeded in death by her parents, Francis and Gladys Moore and, brother Wesley (Jeanne) Moore. She is survived by husband, Carl, daughter Nita (Jim) Naugle, son Chip (Chandra) Herold, grandson, Teagan and granddaughter, Tirzah and numerous nieces and nephews.

A family celebration of life will be held at a later time. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Yampa-Egeria Historical Society in memory of Rita, PO Box 1, Yampa CO 80483.