Rosemary A. O'Gara

JACKSON, Neb. -- Rosemary A. O'Gara, 82, of Jackson died peacefully Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010, in Valparaiso, Neb., surrounded by her family.

Services will be 10 a.m. Saturday, February 27, 2010 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Jackson. Burial will be in St. John's Cemetery, rural Jackson. A luncheon will be served following the graveside service at the church. Visitation will be noon to 2 p.m. Friday at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel in Sioux City. Visitation will resume at 3:30 p.m. Friday, with the family present 5 to 8 p.m., a Catholic Daughters of the Americas rosary at 4 p.m. and a vigil service at 7 p.m., at the church.

Rosemary A. O'Gara was born Nov. 15, 1927, to Sylvester and Rose (Pottebaum) Minten, in Alton, Iowa. She graduated from St. Mary's Academy in Alton in 1945. She attended the Commercial Extension in Omaha. From 1946 to 1953, she worked in the office for Lewis System and Cudahy Packing Company in Sioux City.

She married Gilbert W. "Bill" O'Gara on Jan. 9, 1954, in Alton. They resided on the farm near Jackson. She was a homemaker and stay-at-home mom for 17 years. She returned to the work force in 1971, as an admitting clerk and later worked in the billing office at St. Vincent's Hospital in Sioux City, which became Marian Health Center and is currently Mercy Medical Center. She retired from there in 1992.

She was an active member of St. Patrick's parish in Jackson and was the choir director for many years until August 2009. She was a member of the Altar Society, the Catholic Daughters of America, the Omaha Archdiocese Council of Catholic Women and a member of the St. Patrick's Sesquicentennial committee for the 150th anniversary of the parish in 2006. Rosemary and Bill were on the Bishop Heelan High School (Sioux City) Parents' board for 12 years.

She is survived by five sons, Gil (Anita) of Des Moines, Pat (Jeanenne) of Omaha, Mike (Marie) of Jackson, Jim (Ruth) of Lincoln, Neb., and George of Jackson; two daughters, Sue (Gery) of Valparaiso, Neb., and Mary Hunt of Gladstone, Mo.; 21 grandchildren; three brothers, Marvin (Doris) Minten of Parker, Colo., Lloyd Minten of Alton, Harold (Martha) Minten of North Potomac, Md., five sisters, Esther MacClure of Onawa, Iowa, Edith (Vernon) Staab of Remsen, Iowa, Ethel (Lyle) Heidesch of Remsen, Helen (Fred) Shockey of Ridott, Ill., Carol (Jim) Schemmel of Shawnee, Kan.; two brothers-in-law, Tom O'Gara of Terra Haute, Ind., and Bart (Anneliese) O'Gara of Burgbernheim, Germany; three sisters-in-law, Rita Minten of Alton, Kay McKivergan of Ponca, Neb., and Irma O'Gara of Roswell, N.M.; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill in 2003; her son, Gerald in 1964; her parents; and two brothers, Joe and Paul.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Masses, St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools of Sioux City, Trinity Heights/Queen of Peace and Hospice of Siouxland.