Rosemary J. Pelter

Rosemary J. Pelter, 91, passed away peacefully on Jan. 7 at StoryPoint memory care facility in Bolingbrook where she had been living for the last two years. Even though Rosemary suffered from dementia during those two years, it was a tiny blip in her amazing life.
Born Nov. 1, 1934, to Bernard and Theresa (Wemhoff) Brockhaus, Rosemary was raised on the family farm in Humphrey, Neb., with her eight siblings. As the second youngest and with five brothers, she developed the strong, competitive, smart and loving personality everyone knew throughout her life.
Rosemary married the love of her life, Lawrence “Larry” Pelter, on Sept. 4, 1956, and they were together for 65 years until his death in 2021. They raised four children, first in Columbus, Neb., followed by Oak Park and then retiring to Lake Summerset northwest of Rockford. Their main focus throughout were their children, their Catholic faith and the Cubs, Bears and Cornhuskers.
Rosemary worked for 25 years as a bookkeeper for Sears until her retirement in 1998. She also volunteered her time at church and school and was ever present for her children at whatever sports or other activities they were pursuing.
Growing up as a tomboy on the farm, Rosemary was by nature competitive and loved playing cards, whether it was with her bridge league or teamed up with Larry for a cutthroat game of euchre with family or friends.
Rosemary is survived by three children, Jeanne (Bill) Haderlein of Chicago, Julie (Keith Hughes) of Chicago and Michael (Colin O’Donnell) of Naperville. She also is survived by seven grandchildren: Zachary (Courtney), Max, David, Steven (Hannah), Michael (Teresia), JohnHenry and Maggie; four step-grandchildren: Brendan (Tamara), Stephen (Laura), Michael and MaryRose; four great-grandkids: Nathan, Lilly, Landon and Georgia and three step-great-grandkids: Cillian, Remy and Lydia. She also is survived by two brothers, Don (Mary) and Eugene (Ann) Brockhaus, sister-in-law Marlene (Ken) Ebel and many nieces and nephews. Rosemary is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Larry, her daughter, Sharon McGarr and son-in-law Christopher McGarr, her parents, her brothers Jerome, George and Paul and sisters, Lorraine, Doris and Kathleen.
Immense gratitude is given to the staff at StoryPoint and JourneyCare Hospice for their loving and skillful care of Rosemary and for the heartfelt empathy they exhibited in dealing with her family.

A one-hour visitation will be held at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, at Ascension Catholic Church, 808 S. East Ave., Oak Park, Ill., followed by a Mass at 10:30 a.m. A burial service will be held at a later date at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery in Humphrey, Neb. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Rosemary’s name to the Dementia Society of America at https://www.dementiasociety.org/donate