Rita Durrell

Rita Durrell passed away on April 13. She was born in Albany to Ellsworth Shedd and Pearl Beck Shedd. She was proud of her family heritage. She grew up in Shedd, which was named after her grandfather, and Civil War captain, Frank Shedd, who had donated the land for the railroad and townsite. Her father crossed the plains in a covered wagon in 1864; Frank Shedd was the wagon train captain. She attended school in Shedd and Oakville and graduated from Shedd High School in 1938. She studied secretarial science at Oregon State College for two years. She met and married Kenneth Durrell in 1944. Rita worked at Ball Studio photo lab during World War II. She and Ken farmed, harvested nuts and cherries, and raised livestock. Rita enjoyed her family, gardening, pastels and oil painting, crafts, reading and her Shetland ponies. Rita and Ken were co-superintendents of the Pony Department at the Benton County Fair for 32 years. They received the Western Fairs Association Blue Ribbon Award for their work. She also loved entering her flowers, vegetables, art and photography at the fair and seeing her Cherry-Hill Shetland ponies shown at fair. Rita was a charter member of the Corvallis Trail Riders and Willamette Valley Pony Club. She was also leader of the first 4-H horse club in Benton County, the Traildusters. She is survived by children Kenneth Wayne Durrell (Connie), Mark Durrell (Julianne), Brian Durrell (Sandy), Brenda Cutting and Traci Durrell-Khalife (Maan); grandchildren Todd, Kevin, Kyle, Lindsey and Tyler Durrell, Bonnie Warren and Ryan Khalife; and great-grandchildren Sierra, Julian, Abigail, Aubrie, Makenlie, Ethan, Austin and Alissa Warren and Kapilialoha Durrell. She was preceded in death by Ken and her daughter, Karen. A memorial celebrating Rita’s life will be on Monday, April 25, at Guerber Hall at the Benton County Fairgrounds. A visitation begins at 9 a.m. and the service will be at 11 a.m., followed by a light buffet lunch. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Benton County Fair Foundation or Independent Community Club Schoolhouse Refurbishing Fund.

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Rita Durrell

May 24, 1921 - April 13, 2016