Rose Marie Allen

Rose Marie Allen Harrisburg. Rose Marie Allen, 85 died Friday, October 2, 2015 at Dells Nursing and Rehab Center, Dell Rapids, SD. Memorial Services will be at 11:00am Friday, October 9, 2015 at Heritage Funeral Home, Sioux Falls with visitation with family present from 6-8pm Thursday evening at the funeral home. Rose Marie Blom was born to John and Gladys Blom on August 20, 1930 in Sioux Falls, SD. She grew up in Sioux Falls with her mom, dad, sister and a host of relatives. She loved ice skating and visiting her grand-parents farm, where she fell in love with animals, especially a Shetland pony and the family dog, Curly. She graduated from Washington High School and soon after met the love of her life at a dance at Wall Lake. Ralph Allen and Rose Marie were married September 18, 1949 at the First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls; they recently celebrated 66 years of marriage. The newlyweds lived in Hurley and Sioux Falls before moving to their 80 acre working farm near Harrisburg. Mom enjoyed being at home caring for us kids, and when the last child started school she went to work outside the home and later joined dad in the family business, the American Tent & Awning Co. She never retired and would still be working today if cancer hadn’t ended her journey. Mom was an expert at keeping six active children busy and out of mischief, every weekend during the summer, weather permitting, she would pack a picnic lunch and a host of other necessities, dad would get the boat ready and we would head to Lake Alvin for a full day of swimming and skiing. Life on the farm was busy and hard work, she was self- taught; learned to can fruits, vegetables and make jam from the apple and mulberry trees in the yard, harvest chickens with the neighborhood farm wives, was an excellent seamstress and cook as well as a nurse, not just for us kids, but also for the newborn farm animals. Mom loved dancing with Ralph; you could find them almost every Saturday night with friends at the Polka Dot in Harrisburg. Weekends were busy traveling to local lakes to fish and relax, and later they would park their RV near the river at Pike Haven and now by Platte SD. They drove their RV south for 37 years, this last winter was their last journey together to South Padre Island, TX to meet up with their dear friends from across the U.S., “The Winter Texans.” Rose cherished her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and every year she would select a personal treasure from Mexico for everyone and loved watching their expressions as they opened the package. Getting together for birthday parties, weekly fish fries, Thanksgiving, and especially Christmas with family meant so much to Mom! To you Rosie, a wonderful wife, mom, sister, aunt, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend, you always thought of others before yourself and we won’t forget you or your infectious laugh, we are all so grateful for sharing your life and your love, thank you for all the memories, we will miss you. Your husband, Ralph; your children; David (Dawn Campbell), Linda (Robert Lommen), Paula (Sid Oldenkamp), Michael (Jill), Douglas and Timothy; 10 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren and your sister Jane (Lawrence) Teply as well as a host of relatives and friends.