Rose Elizabeth (Nekl) Gilbert (2006)

GILBERT, NEKL

Posted By: Mary Welty Hart (email)
Date: 7/7/2006 at 20:40:24

Winterset Madisonian, Winterset, Iowa
July 5, 2006

ROSE GILBERT, Earlham

Rose Elizabeth Gilbert, 87, of Earlham died June 27, 2006, at St. Joseph Hospital in Highland, Ill.

Funeral services were held Saturday, July 1, at Kuhn Funeral Home in Earlham with Pastor Linda Burnett and Ernest Biaotto officiating. Burial was at Earlham Cemetery.

Rose Gilbert was born Oct. 21, 1918, in Cleveland, Ohio, to James and Antoinette Nekl. The family moved to a farm in Nebraska when she was small. In July 1940, she married Al Gilbert. They moved to Stuart and later settled with Al’s parents on the family farm south of Earlham. They later moved to Earlham. Rose had been a cook at Earlham Community School.

She was preceded in death by her husband and siblings — her twin in infancy, and sisters Mildred, Cecelia and Mary and brothers Jim, George, Bill and Bob.

She is survived by one son, Larry of Highland, Ill.; one daughter, Rita of Newark, Ohio; and two brothers, Nick and Neal, both of Nebraska.

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Earlham Advocate
Earlham, Iowa
July 6, 2006
Page 2

Funeral services were held for Rose Elizabeth Gilbert on Saturday, July 1, 2006 at 10:30 a.m. at the Kuhn Funeral home in Earlham, Iowa.

Pastors Linda Burnett and Ernest Baiotto officiated. Soloist Kathy Hopkins sang “Wind Beneath My Wings” & “How Great Thou Art” and soloist David Kuhn sang “The Lord’s Prayer”. Other special music was “Country Roads” by John Denver.

Pallbearers were Rodney Ramsey, Russ Asman, Marlin Gilbert, James Stanley, Dan Doherty, Jr., and Bruce Koboldt. Honorary pallbearers were Wayne Fastle, Harry Skaggs, Steve Hess, Bud Anker, Emil Chloupek, Sandy Ahnen, Gary Gilbert, Peggy Alston, Neal Nekl, Nick Nekl, Richard Alston.

Rose was born to Bohemian parents, Antoinette and James Nekl in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 21, 1918. The family moved to Nebraska when she was very small and lived on the family farm. She met her husband, Al, who had moved to Nebraska to establish milk routes for his employer. Al convinced Rose’s father he was worthy of becoming her husband. Rose and Al were married in July, 1940.

Al & Rose moved to Stuart and later settled with Al’s parents on the family farm south of Earlham. Rose joined in with farm life, always at Al’s side. The couple was blessed with one son, Larry. When Larry turned 17 years old, their second child, Rita was born.

The couple had an entwined love, just as a grape vine circles its vines throughout the plant. It was because of their devotion to each other that has created this final chapter to be written for her life. Al, her soul mate, passed away at this same time last year. She passed away while visiting her son and his wife at St. Joseph Hospital in Highland, Illinois on Tuesday June 27, 2006, after emergency surgery.

Rose had many hobbies and talents. She was an exceptional cook. Fixing many delicious dinners when hired help came to the farm and home. She also worked as a cook at the Earlham Community School. Nothing was any better than to spend Christmas with her and partake in Bohemian delicacies, especially her poppy seed kolach’s. She loved the antique furniture business and especially enjoyed refinishing furniture. Her first project was an old rocker that she spent considerable time refinishing. It is still a cherished family possession. She loved flowers and irises were her favorite. She expanded her love for this one particular flower when she and Al moved off the farm to the home on the edge of Earlham. The who town and anyone traveling on the P57 Winterset highway could not miss the garden in May when the irises were in full bloom.

Rose was petite throughout her life. For a small person, she had an incredible amount of spark and fire with her zesty personality. She adored her husband and family, loved her animals, and usually could be found with a coffee pot on the stove and a cup of coffee in her hand. Nobody could deny she was the ruby in the mountain of rock.

Rose was preceded in death by her husband and siblings. Her twin passed away in infancy, her sisters Mildred, Cecelia, and Mary, her brothers, Jim, George, Bill and Bob. She is survived by her brothers Nick and Neal, living in Nebraska, her son, Larry and his wife, Helen (Tootie) residing in Highland, Illinois, daughter Rita and her husband Michael of Newark, Ohio, and her wonderful cat, Moe.

Interment was held in the Earlham Cemetery, in Earlham, Iowa.