Rhoda G. Kotten
April 12, 1917 - Nov. 16, 2007
WILLMAR -- Rhoda Gertrude Kotten, 90, of Willmar, died Friday at Rice Memorial Hospital, following a brief illness.
The service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Willmar Assembly of God Church. Burial will be at Fairview Cemetery. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service at the church. Arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Funeral Home.
She was born on April 12, 1917, on a farm near Sanborn, to 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. She married Willard DeRuyter on June 23, 1940, and they lived and farmed north of Sunburg. Following Willard's death in 1970, she entered the nursing program at Willmar Vo-Tech and graduated in July 1973. Later that same year she married Tony Kotten. They lived and farmed near Sleepy Eye. She was employed for eight years at the Sleepy Eye Care Center. Tony died in 1982. In 1986 she retired and moved to Willmar. She was an active member of Assembly of God Church in Willmar.
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She is survived by five sons: Willard DeRuyter of Spokane, Wash., Vernon (and Dorothy) DeRuyter of Tuscon, Ariz., Steven (and Kevyn) DeRuyter of Minneapolis, Al (and Linda) DeRuyter of Buffalo and Daniel (and Liz) DeRuyter of Spokane, Wash.; a daughter: Anne Marie DeRuyter (and Zach Holloway) of Spokane, Wash.; eight grandchildren; one great-grandson; many stepchildren, stepgrandchildren and step great-grandchildren; a brother: Charles (and Rita) Trapp of Blomkest; and a sister: Herma Hoffman of Renville.
She was preceded in death by a brother and four sisters.
