Sarita Rose Huff

Sarita Rose (Schmitt) Huff was born October 23, 1929 in Ayr, Nebraska. At the time of her birth, her parents, Frank and Ada Schmitt, and her two year old sister, Margaret, were living on a farm near Culbertson, Nebraska. Sarita was born at the beginning of the “Great Depression”. The following years were named “The dust bowl years”. Grandpa Schmitt was able to sustain the family by what was produced on the farm.

When Sarita was four years old, two ministers invited the Schmitt family to come and listen to the glad tidings of Jesus’ gospel message. Sarita’s mother’s interest and commitment to follow Jesus continued to grow and influenced their family. As time passed Sarita’s own heart also became committed to follow the gospel message of Jesus. In her last testimony, while she was in her nineties, her desire was to continue following Jesus to “the Very End”.

As young teenagers, Sarita and her sister boarded away from home during the week and returned home on the weekends in order to attend high school.

Upon graduation Sarita and her sister both taught elementary school in one room country schools. In those days the teacher had about 30 students from grade 1 to grade 8! They decided there must be an easier way to earn a living, so they began learning secretarial skills at the Business school in Lincoln, Ne.

In 1952 Sarita and Ross Huff were married. Three sons were born into the family: Edwin, Eldon, and Eugene. The family lived in Lincoln, Grand Island, and McCook, Nebraska. In 1967 Ross and Sarita moved to San Diego. In 1969 Ross’s mother, Grandma Huff, came to live with the family in San Diego.

In addition to caring for the family, Sarita worked as a secretary for the Bureau of Reclamation and the Cleveland National Forest. In 1979 they moved to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia where Ross was a “business manager” for the American schools. In 1985 Sarita was offered secretarial work in the United States “State Department” which took them to Sana’a, North Yemen, Tokyo, Japan, and Paris, France.

In 1994 they retired to their home in San Diego. They re-modeled their home with Eugene’s help and began traveling. Sarita said she had been around the world three times and had fifty five different countries stamped into her passport. In 1998 Ross passed away from a heart attack in Switzerland. In 2010 Sarita moved to Fresno where she lived at the Windham “Retirement Community”. In 2023 Sarita moved to Windham “Assisted Living Care”. In March 2025, at the age of 95, she fell and broke her hip. With the addition of hospice care she was able to remain in her own apartment until her passing on March 16.

Sarita is preceded in death by her husband, Ross, her parents, Frank and Ada Schmitt, her sister and brother-in-law, Margaret and Henry Wasson, and her nephew, James Wasson.

Sarita is survived by her three sons and their families, five grandchildren and their families including eight great grandchildren, one niece and her family, and a host of family members and many friends.

A visitation for Sarita will be held Friday, March 28, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Whitehurst Sullivan Burns & Blair Funeral Home, 836 E. Nees Ave., Fresno, CA 93720. A celebration of life will occur Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 11:00 AM, 836 E. Nees Ave., Fresno, CA 93720. A graveside service will occur Monday, March 31, 2025 at 1:30 PM at Greenwood Memorial Park and Mortuary, 4300 Imperial Ave, San Diego, CA 92113.