Rose Mary Heimkes, age 95, of Shakopee, Minnesota, passed away on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
A time of gathering will be held on Sunday, March 26, 2023 from 3-6PM at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation (833 Marschall Rd, Shakopee). A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, March 27, 2023 at 11 AM with a visitation 1-hour prior at Church of St. Mary (Parish of Saints Joachim and Anne, 535 Lewis Street South, Shakopee, Minnesota). Father Michael Becker will preside, and Rose Mary will be laid to rest at St. John Calvary Cemetery, Jordan.
Rose Mary was born on March 7, 1928 to John and Clara (Schloegel) Luskey. She grew up on the family farm in Henderson, MN with her parents and siblings. She had an older sister, Anne, who passed away at the age of four, leaving Rose Mary the oldest of her five brothers and four sisters.
Never well off, she lived through the Great Depression as a child. Her family knew hardship and hard work and she learned these lessons well. As a young woman during WWII she worked at the Green Giant factory, doing her part in the war effort while men were off at the front. At that time, women had few career options: nurse or teacher. Her mother, Clara Luskey, had attended nursing school and worked as a midwife for local families for several years. She was no longer able to pursue this career because of her obligations toward her growing family. Her maternal aunt, Marie, had chosen teaching as a career and encouraged Rose Mary to take this path, which she did…oh boy did she. Strong role models made for a woman with a future.
She attended teacher training in Mankato, which at the time was a 2 year college program. After graduation Rose Mary taught in a one room schoolhouse teaching grades one through eight…teaching even some of her own siblings.
As a high school senior, Rose Mary attended a dance where she met Earl Heimkes, a man 5 years older than her. They dated until he was drafted into the Army. Upon his return they married at the Jessenland Catholic Church on June 24, 1950. Even after marriage and starting her family, Rose Mary continued her teaching career. She was passionate about teaching children. Taking classes to improve her skills and seminars to improve her curriculum. She loved educating them and passing on her own love of learning. Rose Mary never stopped teaching despite giving birth to eight children. She would work as long as she could up until the birth and go back to teaching soon after.
Rose Mary and Earl worked very hard to support their growing family. He always supported her career choice when it was fairly unconventional for a woman to continue teaching after the birth of her children. Everyone in the family had to work together to run the household operation. The family survived a major fire and several floods which left them with very little. Each time they fought back, doing the very best they could for their family.
Rose Mary was a woman of deep faith and always found great comfort and support from her Catholic faith. This carried her through these difficult times. Prayer was a regular part of family life with the St. Anthony prayer and the rosary a daily family event.
Combining her love of teaching with her faith Rose Mary taught in Catholic schools throughout Scott County, including St. John the Baptist in Jordan, St. Wenceslaus in New Prague, Our Lady of the Prairie in Belle Plaine, St. Mary’s and St. Mark’s in Shakopee. She taught grades one through six, preferring fourth through sixth for most of those years.
At the same time Rose Mary was raising her family and teaching full time she made a decision to start taking college courses at Mankato State University to obtain her four year degree. Sundays were spent on church, lesson plans, and course work. And despite the responsibility and exhaustion, her teaching career remained her passion and purpose. She obtained her B.S. in Education. Her area of particular interest was science. During her time teaching she was once named Minnesota Conservation Teacher of the Year and then Minnesota Catholic Educator of the Year. Rose Mary accepted the position of principal at Our Lady of the Prairie. After two years she found that she needed to be in the classroom. At the same time, her husband Earl, was terminally ill with cancer and passed away at the age of 58. Moving back into the classroom was her source of strength.
Her children grew up and moved from home. Rose Mary had been so busy that she had little time to pursue another interest: travel. An opportunity arose for her to join a tour to Ireland with some friends from Shakopee, and then she met George McManus. They were on the same tour group in Ireland and he fell hard for her. Rose Mary and George married a couple years later and purchased a home in Shakopee where they lived until his death in May 1998 after approximately 10 years of marriage.
Rose Mary was teaching in Jordan at the time and after George’s death she accepted a teaching position at the newly built Shakopee Area Catholic School (SACS). At 70 she retired and there was a wonderful celebration of her career…however, that did not last long. Within a short period she was back at it, substitute teaching and tutoring children at SACS. She continued to do so until her second retirement at 88!
Over the past ten years, Rose Mary spent her time with friends and family, pursuing her other interests and in prayer. Rose Mary enjoyed gardening, baking, canning, embroidery, and caring for her flowers. She loved praying the rosary and would spend hours in prayer on behalf of her family and others. It was of unceasing comfort to her in her final years.
Rose Mary was loved and will be deeply missed by her children, Robert (Nancy) Heimkes, Anne Heimkes Tuttle (Scott Hansen), Patricia Hardage, Bill (Anne) Heimkes, Tom Heimkes, Colleen Heimkes (Steven Brotzler), Kathy Mayerhofer (Tom), and Joan O’Brien; 19 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; siblings, Betty Drucker, Joe Luskey, Bill Luskey and Jim Luskey; and by many nieces, nephews and friends and of course, former students.
Pallbearers will be grandsons, Paul Tuttle, Marc Tuttle, Charles Hardage III, Michael Heimkes, Kevin Mayerhofer and Jacob O’Brien.
