Keffeler, Rose Marie 1917-2004

KEFFELER, SCHMITZ, LETSCHE

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 3/18/2009 at 12:28:55

REMSEN, Iowa -- Rose Marie "Rosie" Keffeler, 87, of Remsen died Monday, Dec. 13, 2004, at her residence.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Remsen, with the Rev. Timothy Johnson officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery. Visitation will be after 2 p.m. today, with a St. Mary's Guild and Catholic Daughters of America rosary at 3 p.m. and a vigil prayer service at 7:30 p.m., at Fisch Funeral Home in Remsen.

Rosie was born Dec. 10, 1917, in rural Remsen, the daughter of Louis and Mary (Letsche) Schmitz. She was raised in the Remsen area and received her education at Remsen Public School.

On Nov. 29, 1934, she married Clarence Keffeler in Remsen. They farmed in the Marcus, Iowa, area before moving to a farm near Remsen, which she was active in helping operate. They also sold DeKalb seed corn, which she continued to do until her retirement in January 1977, when she moved into Remsen. Clarence died Jan. 30, 1974.

She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, St. Mary's Guild and Catholic Daughters of America. She was a former member and past president of the Christian Mothers.

Survivors include a son and his wife, Jim and Jeanne of La Veta, Colo.; two daughters and their husbands, Rosie and Jim Staab and Mary and Paul Ahlers, all of Remsen; nine grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; two great-stepgrandchildren; and four sisters-in-law, Mrs. Omar (Katherine) Schmidt of Minneapolis, Mrs, Claude (Myra) Hall of Canon City, Colo., Mrs. Dick (Ruth ) Keffeler of Marcus, Iowa, and Mrs,. Earl (Delores) Schmitz of Ontario, Calif.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Robert; a grandson, Lucas Ahlers; four brothers, Louis Schmitz as a young child, Albert, Andrew and Earl Schmitz; and a sister, Elsie Pritchett.

Pallbearers will be Matt and Steve Ahlers, Mike Keffeler, John, Mark and Nick Staab.

~Source: The Sioux City Journal; part of the Darrell E. Obituary Collection