Rita Marlene Orr

Rita Marlene Orr, 57, of Belgrade, “went to be with her Lord and Savior” on Oct. 16, 2012, in Phoenix, with her family at her side. She lost her second round with cancer, having been in remission for two years.

Rita was born in Great Falls on Oct. 24, 1953, to Bill and Ethel Little. She was raised in Great Falls, Glasgow, Yellowtail and Somers, before settling in Libby.

She graduated from Libby High School in 1972 and moved to Spokane with friends Kathy Bonneau and Rayetta Tangen. She attended Kinman Business College, graduating in 1973, and returned to Libby to work for the U.S. Forest Service.

There she met Scott Orr, a USFS equipment operator, and they were married in Libby on Dec. 14, 1974. The 37-year union was blessed with two children, Jen and Matt, and more pets than you could count.

Scott and Rita bought Slausons' Disposal Service in 1976, growing and operating it as SJ Orr Services, until retiring in 2001. 

While in Libby, Rita was active in many church, political, civic and school activities, but her faith and family were always her first passions. It grew into quite an extended family as she touched many lives. Her many foster children and five AFS exchange students remain in contact because their lives were enriched by Rita’s boundless love. 

Rita took to the role of “Mimi” with the addition of her grandchildren, Teague and Ireland O’Malley. She followed her grandchildren to Hamilton and Belgrade after retirement. 

Rita is survived by her husband, Scott, at the family home in Belgrade; her daughter, Jen O’Malley, and husband Joe, with their children, Teague and Ireland, also in Belgrade; her son, Matt Orr, and his wife, Sandra, in Portland; her mother, Ethel, and Wade, in Libby; her brother, Bruce Little and his wife Yvonne in Libby, and niece, Aimee Szabo with her husband Mike in Laurel; nephew, Mark Little, also in Laurel; Uncle Roy Snider and wife Stella, in Sutherland, Ore.; Aunt Betty Sanford of Cascade; Aunt Becky Thoeny and husband Adrian, in Newman Lake, Wash.; cousins, Jed Little, Julie Sanford, Chancy Thoeny, David Thoeny, Elizabeth Davis and Fay Seiler; brother-in-law, Dwayne Orr, and his wife, Kathy, in Yamhill, Ore.; niece, Jena Orr, in Yamhill; brother-in-law, DC Orr, with his wife Marianne, in Libby; nephew, Adam Orr and his wife Stacey, with daughter Maizy, and their “bun in the oven” in Libby; and niece, Ashley Deshazer with her husband Doug, and their boys Luke, Jace and Tristan in Libby.  

She was preceded in death by her father, Bill Little; mother-in-law, Jeanine Orr; and sister-in-law, Marjean Orr.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Oct. 22 in the Memorial Center in Libby with Pastor Dale Pederson presiding. Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home will also arrange burial in Libby. 

As a memorial to this beautiful woman, our rock solid family promoter, we suggest you hug your family.