Rose Schwickerath, age 95, of New Hampton, Iowa, died Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005, at her home.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 18,

at Holy Family Parish – St. Joseph Center in New Hampton with Monsignor Carl Schmitt officiating. The pall will be placed on Rose’s casket by her children. Lector for the service will be Imogene Attig. The North Washington Men’s Choir and the Holy Family Resurrection Choir will accompany the congregation. The offertory gifts will be presented by Kari Schwickerath, Jeanne Roder and Janel Smith. Eucharist ministers will be Lorna Gorman and Norma Rosonke. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, North Washington, with Leon Geerts, Norbert Geerts, Ken Schmitt, Duane Schwickerath, Kris Schwickerath and Jason Attig as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers are Kevin Geerts, Roger Schmitt, Steven Schmitt and Mark Attig.

Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. today at the Hugeback & Chenoweth Funeral Home in New Hampton where there will be a 4 p.m. rosary, 6:30 p.m. scripture and a video memorial tribute at 7 p.m. Further visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday.

Rose A. Schwickerath was born Feb. 25, 1909, in New Hampton, Iowa, the daughter of Anton and Anna (Brincks) Rosonke. She attended school in New Hampton, graduating from the eighth grade after only seven years of school. At the age of 13, Rose’s mother Anna died and Rose helped her father raise her brothers and sisters. On Oct. 18, 1927, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in New Hampton she was united in marriage to William Schwickerath. To this union nine children were born. The couple lived on a farm west of New Hampton for almost 60 years. William Schwicketath died on Feb. 4, 1983, at the age of 89. In 1985, Rose moved into New Hampton, where she resided until the day of her death. Rose loved to read, sew, garden, write letters and play cards. Her greatest joy was the telling of jokes and stories. Her legacy will live on through the telling of her stories and jokes to her future generations of family members.

She is survived by three sons: Gerald (Marilyn) Schwickerath of New Hampton, Denis (Rosemary) Schwickerath of Alta Vista, Iowa, and Joe (Rose Ann) Schwickerath of New Hampton; four daughters: Coletta (Dan) Geerts of New Hampton, Imelda Schmitt of West Union, Iowa, Imogene (Howard) Attig of Albert Lea, and Jane Schwickerath of Waseca; one son-in-law; Warren Tuttle of Albert Lea; MN- 32 grandchildren; 70 great-grandchildren.; four great-great-grandchildren; and one sister; Sr. Mary Agnesine Rosonke O.S.F. of Dubuque, Iowa.

Rose was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; two daughters: Elaine Schwickerath and Norma Tuttle; two grandchildren: Linda Balik and Joyce Schmitt; two great-grandchildren: Mason Geerts and Kelsey Schwickerath; five brothers: Bernard, Frank, Leo, John and Tony Rosonke; and one sister, Emma Eltgroth.