Rita Harmon

Rita Bartlett Harmon, 80, of Idalou, Tx, died Thursday March 14 at home after a two-year battle with Dementia.              

Memorial Services will be held at 2.00 pm Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Englunds Funeral Service in Slaton, Tx.    

Rita Bartlett was born Feb 2, 1944, in Lubbock Tx to cotton farmers Vernon and Marietta Bartlett. She was a 12-year Senior at Idalou High School. Rita was a member of the Class of 1962 where she played basketball, was a cheerleader and participated in several contest which must have been the deal back in the day based on the pictures we have found. One is a picture of her wearing a Miss Idalou banner. They may have had two or three Miss Idalou’s a year! She was extremely blessed to have several of the girls she started first grade with to honor her with a surprise 80th birthday party. We are very grateful for their kindness.

Mack and Rita Harmon were married in June 1962 and lived south of Estacado next to the Fondren place.

 Rita displayed great talent in designing and decorating a home built in Idalou in time for us to start school. Rita turned this ability into a career. She designed, sewed, and sold women’s purses and accessories. Rita moved to Denton County in 1986 where the manufacturing process grew. Many people were needed to process all the orders sold through the Dallas Market network. She bought a farm in the Ponder community and with her neighbor, Craig Snider, developed a water system, sold lots and built over 75 homes. 

Later Rita bought and remodeled homes in Austin before moving back to Lubbock County in her sixties. Then Mack negotiated the purchase of a couple of farms on her behalf, so quite ironically, her last project was that of a cotton farmer. Rita had made a wide circle.

Somewhere along the way Rita became the world’s biggest Texas music groupie making friends across the southern United States. Larry Joe Taylor’s Music Fest and Jerry Jeff Walker’s trip to Belize were annual events that Rita never missed the last couple of decades. Many of the friends made in this community continue to enquire about her inability to participate the last couple of years. We thank them for their concern.

Rita was preceded in death by her parents, one sister, June Harris, two brothers, Jim and Guy Bartlett, grandson, Jett Harmon in 2009, and her youngest son, Marc Harmon. Marc lost his battle with Dementia and was buried in a private family ceremony on what would have been his fiftieth birthday, February 10, 2024.

Rita is survived by Mack, her sons, Scott and Amanda and their son, Guy, Jay and Dana and their sons, Ryan and wife, Lexie, and Jared, and his daughter, Abby.

A special thanks to Mike McPhaul and Pilar for their love and companionship to Rita.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.