Rose Carol Harmon

1944 - 2022

Rose Carol Harmon (née Houghton), 77, passed away peacefully with family by her side on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in her residence in St. Charles, Illinois, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer.

She was born on Friday, Dec. 8, 1944, in Keokuk, the daughter of James Thomas and Francis Pauline (née Clark) Houghton.

She grew up in Burnside and Carthage, Illinois, graduating from Carthage High School in 1962.

She was united in marriage to the love of her life, Walter Dallas Harmon, on March 31, 1963, in Keokuk.

She was employed at Griffin Wheel Company in Keokuk for 22 years, first as a laborer in the plant and later working her way up to personnel and safety coordinator.

In 2000, she and Walt retired to their lake home in Linn Creek, Missouri, where they enjoyed spending time on their boats with friends and family who visited, particularly enjoying family visits over Independence Day every year. She enjoyed sewing, quilting, and machine embroidery. Among her favorite things to make were embroidered kitchen towels and Christmas ornaments that she would give to family and friends.

In 2009, she and Walt decided to move to northern Illinois to be closer to family, building a new home in Elburn, Illinois. Walt had been diagnosed with ALS during this time, and Rose was devoted to his comfort and care throughout his five-year battle with the disease.

In recent years, she enjoyed spending time with her family and friends; attending church; going on lunch dates with her daughter Brenda; and spending time with her grandchildren. One of her favorite things to do was watch her granddaughter, Rachel, play softball and basketball.

She was a Cubs fan and a life-long Lutheran, most recently a member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Saint Charles. Despite facing numerous health and other challenges in recent years, she always managed to fight her way back, which is why it was such a shock that treatment and recovery were not possible with her most recent illness.

She will be missed greatly by her family and friends, but they take comfort in the fact that she is no longer suffering and has been called home.

She is survived by her two daughters, Brenda Carlson of Geneva, and Rhonda Driver of Keokuk; her grandchildren, Clara, Hannah, Caleb, Stephen and Rachel; three great-grandchildren, Madelyn, Josiah, and Gavin; and her sister Neva Azinger of Glenpool, Oklahoma.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband; her infant son David Troy; her brother Thomas Owen Houghton; and her sister, Emma Jean Brewer.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9 at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 101 S. Sixth Avenue, St. Charles.

Visitation will take place from 9 a.m. until the hour of service.

Entombment will be private in Blackberry Cemetery in Elburn.

Memorials may be directed to the Les Turner ALS Foundation, 5550 W. Touhy Ave., Suite 302, Skokie, IL 60077.

For additional information, please contact the Moss-Norris Funeral Home in St. Charles at 630-584-2000 or www.mossfuneral.com.