Rosemary Kalla

The Mass of Christian Burial, celebrating the life of Rosemary Kalla, age 84 of Rice, MN will be 11:00 AM, Tuesday, November 4 at the St. Stephen Catholic Church in St. Stephen; burial will be in the St. Benedict’s parish cemetery in Avon. Rosemary died Thursday at the Country Manor Health Care Center in Sartell. There will be a visitation from 10:00 AM until the time of the service Tuesday at the church in St. Stephen. Arrangements are being made by the Miller-Carlin Funeral Homes.

Rosemary was born on August 6, 1941, in Avon to Francis and Loretta (Willenbring) Cushing. When she was young, her family moved to Opole where Rosemary lived until she married Leonard Kalla on September 7, 1959. The couple moved to Cody Wyoming in 1964. While living in Cody, Rosemary studied and became a nurse. In 1967, they moved to Sartell. Rosemary spent many years working at Fingerhut until she retired. She was a member of the St. Stephen Catholic Church.

Rosemary had a great love for her family. One of her biggest joys in life was cooking and hosting holiday meals at her house for the family. She will forever be known for her amazing homemade dressing, bouja, stew with dumplings, canned pickles, homemade BBQ sauce just to name a few. But no matter what she made it was delicious. Baking was also one of her specialties. No matter what she made, she always made sure that everyone had more than enough to eat.

She had a passion for gardening both vegetables and flowers. In her younger years she loved to go hunting and making wood. She enjoyed watching the birds, her favorites were cardinals and hummingbirds. She was really good at chasing the pesky squirrels out of the feeders anytime she seen them. Visiting with family, playing cards gave her great joy as well as trips to the casino.

Rosemary is survived by her children; Jim (Clara Hoeschen) Kalla, Sauk Center; Tom (Karla) Kalla, Holdingford; Sandy Kalla, Washington; and Mary Jo (Rick) Wallenstein, St. Stephen. She is also survived by her sisters and brothers; Cathy (Ray) Kostreba, Holdingford; Charles “Butch” (Carol) Cushing, St. Joseph; Ray (Carol) Cushing, Bowlus, Marge (Bob) Schumacher, Monticello; nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Leonard in 1975 and a close friend, Otto Jendro, Jr. She is also preceded in death by her brothers, Dennis Cushing, Bob Cushing, Herbert Cushing, and Joseph Cushing.