Obituary of Rosa Mann

View Video Tribute Rosa was born to Richard Daniel and Louisa May Monk Martin, August 1, 1930 at Kimeo, Washington County, Kansas. She was the 5th daughter and 6th child in a family that would grow to include 10 children. Rosa passed from this life Sunday, November 11, 2007 at the age of 77 years, 3 months, and 11 days, following a brief illness. Rosa was a farm girl, growing up amid the crops and livestock, joys and happiness, trails and tribulations that are and were part of rural life. She graduated from Keats High School, Keats, Kansas in 1949 and moved to Salina to continue her education at Marymount College. She met and married Darrell Lavern Mann in September, 1951 while he was in the US Army, stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. She remained and worked in Salina, while Darrell served in Korea, moving to her future home in eastern Colorado upon his return from Korea. Rosa began her life as a farm wife and mother in the Burlington and Bethune areas in 1953, while Darrell worked for Ray Hillman. While living south of Bethune, 2 children, Richard Curtis and Rhonda Kay were added to her young family. In March 1955, Darrell and Rosa moved to a farm northeast of Kirk, which she would call home for the rest of her life and where the family would grow to include two more sons, Keith Warren and Bruce Dean. Rosa was a strong lady, helping with the daily routines of the farm life as the partner with her husband and taking the reins of her life and family following the sudden death of Darrell in 1982. Following his death, she sold Avon products in the Kirk, Joes, and Idalia communities, until her health issues required her to retire. There were always cookies, cinnamon rolls, or brownies for the grandkids in her kitchen. Grandma’s Honda ATV was always right outside her door so she could, even up to just days before this last illness, make a quick tour of the farmstead with her dog, to see how the livestock were doing and if anything was out of place. The last 5 years of her life were invaded by arising health issues requiring, sometimes abrupt, changes to her way of life. Even when confronted with these arising issues, she was characterized by one of the doctors she was a lady with a lot of “spunkâ€?, a passion and determination to stay in her home. Rosa was preceded in death by her husband of 31 years Darrell Lavern Mann, her parents, Richard and Louisa Martin, sister and brother-in-law, Lucy and Joseph Kaberlin, brothers Richard L (Leonard) Martin and Darrel Martin, brother-in-laws Max Cailteux, Kenneth Morrell, and Clarence McCauley, and sister-in-law Myrtle Stockwell. She is survived by her children, Richard Curtis (Virginia), Rhonda Kay Prentice (Bruce), Keith Warren (Claudia), and Bruce Dean (Diane), 16 grandchildren, Amy Davis (Sean), Sarah Mann, Shane Prentice (Melissa), Shaun Prentice, Brittany Kuhn (Danny), Kyle Mann, Kelsey Mann, Kade Rigel, Khy Rigel, Kiarra Rigel, Kobryn Mann, Keegan Mann, Brandi Mann, Kari Mann, Sondra Mann, and Tyson Mann, 5 great randchildren, Cody and Samantha Prentice and Kade, Quinn and Nash Prentice. Sisters and brothers; Arlene Shuler, Dorothy Bonham (Delmar), Stella Cailteux, Bernard Martin (Margaret), Gilbert Martin (Diane), Joyce Morrell, as well as other family members, friends and acquaintances. Memorial services for Rosa were held on Friday, November 16, 2007 at 2:00 PM at the Love Funeral Home with Father Ernie Bond officiating. Memorials may be made in Rosa’s name to the South YW Ambulance or the Liberty School Scholarship Fund and may be left at the First National Bank, Kirk, Colorado.