Rita Frese met her husband on a canoe trip 25 years ago. They shared many interests and talents involving nature, travel, history and art. Rita's artistic and typesetting skills resulted in her doing newsletters for the Friends of The Chicago River, The Illinois Paddling Council, The Prairie State Canoeists and the Chicago Maritime Society. Rita and Ralph are founding members of the Maritime Society and she is currently a board member. She and Ralph have five children and four grandchildren. Cooking is another primary interest and she has recently compiled a most unusual cookbook for friends, the result of years of recipe collecting.