Rhoda Kotten

Rhoda Gertrude Kotten, age 90, of Willmar, died Friday morning, Nov. 16, at Rice Memorial Hospital following a brief illness.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the Willmar Assembly of God Church. Interment will be at Fairview Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Funeral Home.
Rhoda was born on April 12, 1917, on a farm near Sanborn, Minnesota, the daughter of Reinhold and Lucy (Sprink) Trapp. As a young girl, she spent time with her maternal grandparents in Lake Benton and began school there. During her high school years, she worked for her board and room and graduated from Olivia High School in 1936. On June 23, 1940, she was married to Willard DeRuyter and they lived and farmed north of Sunburg. Following Willard's death in 1970, Rhoda entered the nursing program at the Willmar Vo-Tech and graduated as a LPN in July of 1973. Later that same year, she was married to Tony Kotten and they lived and farmed near Sleepy Eye. Rhoda was employed for eight years at the Sleepy Eye Care Center. Her husband Tony died in 1982 and in 1986, she retired and moved to Willmar. Rhoda was an active member of the Willmar Assembly of God Church.
Rhoda is survived by five sons, Willard DeRuyter of Spokane, WA., Vernon (and Dorothy) DeRuyter of Tuscon, AZ., Steven (and Kevyn) DeRuyter of Minneapolis, Al (and Linda) DeRuyter of Buffalo and Daniel (and Liz) DeRuyter of Spokane, WA.; one daughter, Anne Marie DeRuyter (and Zach Holloway) of Spokane, WA.; eight grandchildren; one great grandson; many step-children, step-grandchildren and step-great grandchildren. Also surviving is one brother, Charles (and Rita) Trapp of Blomkest and one sister, Herma Hoffman of Renville, besides other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; both husbands; one brother, Rudolph; and four sisters, Dolores, Marian, Martha and Margaret.