Margarita (Rita) Madeline (Quaglia) Cantonwine was born June 24, 1927 in Booth Kelly Logging Camp #13 in Wendling, Ore. She came to Cottage Grove in 1928.
Rita belonged to the 4-H club in school, Catholic church youth group, Catholic Daughters, and was an usher for 18 years. She swam in the Row River across from the present airport runway. Foot pedal or bicycle was her means of transportation.
She worked at Gustafson ice cream parlor from her sophomore through senior years of high school. She graduated from Cottage Grove High School in 1945, then attended 2 terms of Eugene Vocational School through Civil Air Patrol, of which she was a member. Rita also attended Oregon State University for a year, and then worked for Pacific Northwest Telephone Company as a switchboard operator.
Rita married Richard Cantonwine from Longmont, Colo. on Oct. 8, 1948 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, which is now a museum.
She is survived by sons Richard and Paul of Cottage Grove, Dan (Lorrie) of Monroe, Ore., and daughter Margaret (Bob) Cozart of Albany, Ore., grandsons James of Las Vegas, Christopher of Aumsville, Richard of Springfield and Ayden of Monroe. Also, one granddaughter, Tonya (Tom) Thomason of Creswell, along with four great-grandsons, one great-granddaughter and one great-great grandson.
She unofficially adopted Jim and Jeannie Simons of Cottage Grove and their family.
Her husband died June 24, 2008, sons John on Aug. 12, 2003 and Joseph on Oct. 28, 1973. Rita passed away on March 23, 2022 because it was her time to go.
Any memorials are to be made to O.L.P.H. Catholic Church. Memorial Mass will be held April 8, 2022 at 11 a.m. at OLPH, and she asked that everyone wear bright clothing so she can look down and see a flower garden.
She enjoyed hiking the hills, embroidery, making pine needle baskets, reading, crafts, yard work and holidays spent with family.
Arrangements in the care of Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel and Crematorium in Cottage Grove.
