Rita Armor, 79, helps beautify St. Mark’s Parish, Boise
Armor bikes to St. Mark’s with her gardening supplies. (Courtesy Photos/Mary Hersley-Kaineg)
About five years ago, as Rita Armor was walking into St. Mark’s Church, a friend remarked that the flowerbeds sure had a lot of weeds in them. “Okay”, Rita replied. “I’ll meet you out here, and we’ll take care of them.”
“I began in the Marian Garden,” she said. “The under-growth needed clearing out so the flowers could breathe.” Because of this chance encounter, a new ministry was begun. As Rita remembers it, the friend helped two times and then decided it was too much work. They needed more volunteers.
Rita Armor, age 79, comes to ‘work’ by riding her tricycle. Of course, it is heavily laden with gardening tools and equipment. “I grew up on a farm,” she explained. “I love the feel of dirt on my hands, and I just see what needs to be done.” The tricycle was a gift to Rita from her children, and she rides it everywhere. “The only time I drive my car is for doctor appointments or errands downtown,” she said. “I love to feel the wind on my face.”
Nonetheless, she has great difficulty walking, even with a cane, because of the pain in her hips and knees. She also suffers from a spinal disease known by the acronym DISH. This disease causes ossification of the spine, which leads to stiffness and back pain. For Armor, DISH also affects the bones of her neck. “So, when people say hello, and I don’t look at them, it’s because I can’t turn my head,” she laughed.
She grew up in Nebraska and epitomizes the Midwestern traits of honesty, hard work, and a willingness to help in her community where and when needed. “I volunteer because I believe in tithing, but since I don’t have money, I give of my time where I can,” Armor said.
After high school, she obtained a degree in nursing from the University of Nebraska. Armor accepted an opportunity to move to San Diego, Calif., where she worked as a nurse at St. Joseph Hospital. “It was a great job, but the relocation was not a good fit. I was a country kid in a big city, and I struggled to find my way,” said Rita.
After she married Bob Armor, the couple moved to Sandpoint, “because Bob wanted to live somewhere where he could hunt and fish,” she continued. The Armors had three daughters and eventually moved to Boise, where Rita continued her chosen profession. One of Rita’s daughters was diagnosed with a long-term, chronic illness, which took a heavy emotional, physical, and financial toll on the family. The sickness eventually caused her daughter’s death.
Rita Armor straps on her gardening “armor.” (Courtesy Photos/Mary Hersley-Kaineg)
In 2016, Rita experienced a bad fall, which permanently injured her back. Because of this, she will take occasional breaks from gardening to stretch out her back on the parish library floor, which is rarely used during the day. Once, one of the parish staff went into the library, glanced down and saw two feet sticking out from under the library table. “I was startled,” said the staffer. “I was afraid perhaps someone had fainted . . . or even died right there in the library! Just as I was thinking of calling for help, up popped Rita! When my heart settled back where it belonged, we both had a good laugh.”
Armor works closely with parish maintenance supervisor Sergio Gonzales to curate the St. Mark’s flowerbeds. “He gives me a list of what he would like to see, and together we get things done,” Rita explained. “Sergio is not fond of Irises,” she said, “but there are lots of tulips and tiger lilies. In the back, near the adoration chapel, the bushes have been trimmed way back, and there are some beautiful lupines now thriving there.”
“I have an idea about this ministry,” Armor explained. “Wouldn’t it be great if every family who receives assistance for their child to attend our school adopted a patch of garden and pledged ten hours of service?” she asked. In her typically practical thinking, Rita believes people should volunteer their services if they are using parish resources.
“Rita Armor epitomizes what a parish volunteer should be,” said one of the parish staff. “She quietly does the tasks at hand and is really dedicated to her work. She has given hours and hours of self-sacrifice toward this ministry.”
As this interview concluded, Armor began strapping on knee pads and pulling on gardening gloves. Enough time had been wasted. It was time to get to work!
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