Obit: Peasley, Rose M. (1931 - 2013)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Peasley, Winkler, Neuhaus, Lauderdale, Jamison, Strickland, Hohensee, Brager, Conard, Kaiser, Bakken

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 2/27/2013

Peasley, Rose M. (2 December 1931 - 22 February 2013)

Rose M. Peasley, 81, of Black River Falls, died Friday, Feb. 22, 2013, in her home. She was a longtime resident of Black River Falls.

Rose was born Dec. 2, 1931, in Bridge Creek in Eau Claire County, near Augusta, the daughter of William F. and Rosa (Winkler) Neuhaus. She was the youngest of 12 children, and she graduated from Neillsville High School. She attended UW-La Crosse, where she earned a two-year teaching certificate.

Rose married Tom Peasley June 30, 1951. The couple lived their entire married lives of 61 years on the Peasley Dairy Farm located in the Town of Adams, Jackson County. They were blessed with seven children, Jeffrey (Died in 1962), Patricia (Gene) Lauderdale, Elkhorn, David (Tammy) Peasley, Black River Falls, Kathryn (Russ) Jamison, Wausau, Jennifer (Gary) Strickland, Waco, TX, Nancy Hohensee, Oconomowoc, and John Peasley, Milwaukee. They also have 18 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

In addition to her immediate family, she is survived by two brothers, Arnold Neuhaus, Mequon, and William Jr. (Vi) Neuhaus, St. Paul, MN, and two sisters, Marian Brager, Gilman, and Mildred (John) Conard, Alexandria, MN and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her son, Jeffrey, she was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Paul, Arthur, Victor, Calvin, Robert and Samuel; and a sister, Dorothy Kaiser.

Passionate about education, she earned her bachelor’s degree in 1970, the same year her seventh child was born. She first taught at the Hatfield one-room schoolhouse and later in Alma Center and Black River Falls. IN 1974, she began to teach GED Classes for Western Technical College at the Black River Falls campus. She retired in 2003. One of her greatest achievements was helping countless people obtain their high school equivalency diploma.

She was a long time member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church where she served in many capacities, including WELC, church counsel, Sunday school, choir, ministries of Bethal Series, Befrienders and serving for funerals. She was a longtime member of the Snow Creek Homemakers and enjoyed water exercise with her friends at the Lunda Community Center.

Funeral services for Rose M. Peasley will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, at the Black River Evangelical Lutheran Church. Pastor Eric Bakken will conduct services, and burial will be made in the Riverside Cemetery in Black River Falls. Relatives and friends called at Torgerson’s Funeral Home (715-284-4321) 408 N. Water St. Tuesday from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. and may call at the church Wednesday from 10 a.m. until the time of services.

Memorials may be given to the Black River Falls Evangelical Lutheran Church, Jackson County Interfaith Caregivers, or the Black River Memorial Hospice.