Ileen Rose

Ileen L. Norton Rose
Ileen Lenore Norton Rose of Valentine, NE was received into the arms of Jesus on January 3, 2018 at Pine View Nursing Home in Valentine, NE. She was born in Rushville, NE, on December 4, 1938 to William (Bill) and Mollie Ray Norton. She loved the family farm she was raised on south of Rushville, on the Niobrara River along with her older brother Ralph and younger sister Marilyn
Ileen attended the Mill School south of Rushville through the 8th grade and told many stories of riding their horses to school. She went on to Rushville High School, where she enjoyed being a cheerleader, among other activities and valued the education, graduating in 1956. Ileen went to Chadron State College for summer school and returned home to teach that fall at the Mill School.
On August 4, 1957, Ileen married Ronald "Tom" Rose. They worked on several ranches north of Rushville near the Whiteclay area. Ileen continued teaching through those years, and while Tom was in the Army serving in Korea. Shortly after Tom returned home from the service the couple moved to Pequot Lakes, MN, north of Brainerd, where two daughters were born, Ronda Dee and Velda Joyce. After two years in Minnesota they moved back to the Nebraska sandhills to work on a ranch near Lakeside, NE, where son Dannie Allen was born.
Ileen enjoyed several years of staying home raising their young family, while they lived at Scottsbluff, NE, but the desire to teach and be in the classroom was still very much a part of her. She returned to teaching rural grade school when the family moved to a ranch near Burton, NE. Ileen went back to Chadron State College for summer classes to complete her Bachelors Degree in Education. She continued to teach in South Dakota, when the couple moved to Chadron, NE at the semi-retirement of husband Tom.
Ileen loved to travel and considered it educational, taking or sending all three of her children on various college trips. She was a life long teacher whether in or out of the classroom, touching the lives of many students.
Ileen was a member of the Lutheran Church and enjoyed being involved with LWML Ladies Groups. She enjoyed teaching vacation bible school, especially art class.
Her greatest enjoyments were the activities, plays, and sports of her children, grandchildren and students. She sat in every type of gymnasium or grandstand, regardless of weather condition, to watch, cheer, and support them, from the little kindergarten poems to Senior class plays, or all the grade school and high school sports, plus on to high school and college rodeos. She was our number one fan.
Ileen was preceded in death by her loving husband Tom Rose, parents Bill and Mollie Norton, and brother Ralph Norton.
Ileen is survived by both daughters, Ronda Kenner and husband Paul of Wood Lake, NE, Velda Adamson and husband Bret of Kilgore, NE, and son Dan Rose and wife Vickie of Martin, SD. Nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, Brandon Kenner, Derek Kenner and wife Lacey & their 3 children, Brayden, Callie and Treven, Ty Kenner & wife Nicole all of Wood Lake, NE, Tyler O'Neill of Rapid City, SD, Tanner O'Neill of McCook, NE, Dali O'Neill of Valentine, NE, Sadee Adamson of Kilgore, NE, Cortne Rose & son Thomas of Martin, SD, and Cody Rose of Brookings, SD. She is also survived by sister Marilyn Kockrow and husband Tom of Rushville, NE and sister-in-law Dorothy Norton of Rushville, NE.
Funeral services were held Monday January 8, 2018, 11:00 AM at Chamberlain-Pier Funeral Home, Gordon, NE. Burial was held in Fairview Cemetery, Rushville, NE.
A memorial has been established for a Education Scholarship Fund and donations may be sent in care of Chamberlain-Pier Funeral Home, PO Box 366 Gordon, NE 69343.

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