Rosemary Orth, 77, of Seaton, Illinois passed away on Saturday, March 25 in Monmouth, Illinois. Rosemary was born July 10, 1946 to Jim and Margaret Orth in Monmouth, IL. She grew up on the family farm in Seaton, Illinois and attended the Seaton schools and later worked in the cafeteria with Margaret serving home cooked meals to the lucky kids that attended the schools. Rosemary was pivotal in creating an awareness of the need for a special education department at the school. Rosemary spent her youth, just as her older brother Neil did, showing their Hereford cattle at the Mercer County Fair. The Mercer County Fair was the highlight of every summer for Rose and even after she was too old to exhibit in 4-H she still took her latch hook creations as well as her John Wayne collections. To say Rosemary was a creature of habit would be an understatement. She had a set schedule every day and rarely veered from it. She enjoyed it when her nephews and niece would come to visit as long as they didn’t disrupt her Lawrence Welk or Little House on the Prairie TV shows. It didn’t matter who was with her or what they were watching on TV, when her last show of the day was over, the TV was turned off and she would go to bed. Another item on her weekly schedule that was seldom missed was attending Norwood United Presbyterian Church every Sunday. Rosemary enjoyed the fellowship and the extended family the church offered. There is no doubt Rosemary was strong in her Christian faith and was a firm believer in always doing the right thing and simply being a kind person that enjoyed the company of others. Rosemary, much like her father, loved Hereford cattle and Boxer dogs. A couple of her favorite dogs included Dude, Bubbles and many others. Rosemary also had the best memory of anybody we ever met. Once her nephews and niece were older and away from home, Rosemary would be the one to call and remind everybody that not only did somebody have a birthday coming up but would also remind them of how old the person would be. And she was always right! A few years after Jim passed away in 2000, Margaret and Rosemary relocated to the Courtyard Estates in Monmouth and later to the Legacy Estates. Her final home was the Monmouth Nursing Home. The family wishes to thank all these communities for their warmth and welcoming care. Rosemary was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents. She is survived by her brother, Neil (Diane) of Kansas City, MO and her nephews, Brian and Scott (Michelle) and niece Jamie (Matthew) as well as her great nieces Sydney Orth, Raegan Orth, and Brighton Lane and nephews Coleman Orth and Cooper Lane.
Cremation and a memorial service will be planned on Friday, March 31, 2023 at 10:30 at the Turnbull Funeral Home in Monmouth. Interment of her ashes will follow in the Warren County Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made to the Norwood United Presbyterian Church.
