Rita was born to Adam and Mary (Lesner) Gaikowski on August 29,1934 on their homestead in Grenville, SD. She had 3 sisters and two brothers. At age 17 Rita married George W. Senske on September 24, 1951. Their love and respect for each other ran deep and wide and lasted 60 years. They had two children, Mary Ellen and Michelle.
Rita worked at 5 and dime, dry cleaners and a diner from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., then coming home to take care of her young daughter Mary Ellen.
During their marriage Rita traveled alone with their two young daughters to meet up with George at numerous duty stations; Hawaii, Fort Knox, KY, Okinawa, Japan, Panama Canal zone and retiring at Fort Carson, CO in 1976.
Rita enjoyed dancing the polka with her husband and listening to him play his accordion, reading, tending to her flowers and gardening. Rita also enjoyed needlepoint and sewing many outfits for her girls along with matching outfits for their dolls and Barbie clothes. Rita especially enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren whom she loved dearly.
Rita was preceded in passing by her parents, Adam and Mary, her brothers, George and Robert and her beloved husband George. She is survived by her daughters, Mary Ellen (Calvin Young), Michelle Frizzell-Thompson (Jim Thompson), grandchildren, Crystal, Amber, Joshua, Justin, Danielle and Sierra; two great-grandsons, Asher and Leven, sisters, Clara Wirkus, Joan Hemp and Caroline Meuer and sister in law Bernice Gaikowski, along with many nieces and nephews.
