Mary Ellen Rose

Mary Ellen (Pitts) Rose, age 81, of Mt. Carroll, Illinois, passed away peacefully in her sleep on November 14, 2019 at Prairie Crossing Nursing Home in Shabbona, Illinois, where she had been a resident since July 2018. A funeral service will be held 10 am Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at Law-Jones Funeral Home, Mt. Carroll. Burial will take place in Lanark Cemetery, Lanark, Illinois. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 19, 2019 at the funeral home. A memorial has been established. Family and friends are invited to share in Mary’s life at www.lawjonesfuneralhome.com .

Mary was born December 10, 1937, in Sterling, Illinois, the second-born daughter of Omar and Hazel (Jacobs) Pitts of Chadwick, Illinois. She graduated from Chadwick High School in 1955, she then went on to attend several classes at Highland Community College in Freeport, Illinois. On January 15, 1956, Mary wed James Rose. Together they raised four children and celebrated 63 years of marriage.

Despite being a victim of multiple sclerosis for many years, Mary held several occupations throughout her life. She did factory work for G.E., Kraft, and Rolling Hills Progress Center. In addition, she worked as a nurse’s aide, and as an intern for the Department of Rehab Services. She also babysat for local families and cleaned houses part-time. She was a longtime member of the Chadwick Evangelical Free Church where she taught Sunday school and Bible school, and sang in the church choir. Mary was also active in many community organizations. She was a member of the Illinois Disability Council, Home Extension, and was a 4-H Leader. She loved reading and attending country music shows.

Mary will be dearly missed by her husband James; two sons, David (Mary Ann) Rose of DeKalb, Illinois and Duane (Lowletta) Rose of Roseburg, Oregon; daughter Cynthia (Steven) Rae of DeKalb, Illinois; 10 grandchildren, Elizabeth, Juanita, Gretchen, Eric, David, Allen, Makala, Michael, Kortnie and Jessica;12 great-grandchildren, Kaytelynn, Levi, Nathan, Rose, Landon, Peyton, Benji, Natalie, Abigail, Matthew, Lillian and Hannah; two brothers, Larry (Linda) Pitts of Lena, Illinois and James (Ruth) Pitts of Milledgeville, Illinois; three sisters, Janice Strauch of Chadwick, Illinois, Joan (Clifford) Freeman of Byron, Illinois, and Beverly Dayboll of Mt. Carroll, Illinois.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents Omar and Hazel; daughter Denise; sister Edith; grandson Ryan; and a granddaughter, Amanda.