Rose “Rosie” Marie (Meyer) Nilges Huckstep, 86, Linn, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, at SSM Health St. Mary’s in Jefferson City.
She was born Jan. 27, 1938, to the late Edward H. Meyer and Helen (Voss) Meyer in Bonnots Mill.
Her mother Helen passed away in 1941 when she was just four years old. Her father married Pauline (Burkett) of Jefferson City. Pauline raised Rosie and her brother Paul in Linn.
She attended school for eight years at St. George School and then four years at Linn High School.
Rosie was united in marriage to Eugene G. Nilges June 30, 1956 and together they had three wonderful sons, Terry Eugene Nilges and wife Debbie of Iowa, Jerry Ray Nilges, and Kerry Paul Nilges and wife Jennifer of Linn. She was later united in marriage to Gary W. Huckstep Sept. 29, 1990, at his club house on the Osage River. They later moved into Gary’s grandmother’s home in Linn where they resided for over 30 years.
Rosie was preceded in death by husband, Gary; parents, Edward and Helen; son, Jerry Ray Nilges; brother, Paul H. Meyer of Jefferson City, (owner of Meyer’s Electric Company until his death May 28, 2018, in Sun City, Ariz); and nephew, Jeffrey Nilges.
She is survived by six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; niece, Lisa; nephew, Steve; step-children, Tina Huckstep and spouse, Vickie and Gina Huckstep and husband Brian Patterson, all of Linn and J.D. Huckstep and wife Jen of Jefferson City.
When Rosie was a 15-year-old young lady, she worked all summer as a waitress at the Palace Inn and started working after school at Green Gables Café as a waitress for three years until she married Gene Nilges in 1956. Rosie was a stay-at-home mom with her three sons. When they started school she started working for Linn Technical College in 1967 where she loved the job and worked there for 27 years. From 1959 to 1964 Rosie started V.F.W. Teen-Town with Virgil and Velen Morris. They met every Wednesday night for four years. Bill Reynolds of MO History took some pictures of the V.F.W. Teen-Town and placed them on Facebook. Over 1,000 people responded in 2017. That was wonderful. Gary and Rosie also worked at Duck’s Unlimited dinners for 26 years at St. George in Linn.
Rosie was the first lady to become a school bus driver in Linn for Lawrence Rudruff who owned the business. He taught her how to drive a 73-passenger bus which she drove for 11 years. Afterwards she went to work for Scholastic Book Company for 11 years and worked evenings at Linn Technical Lounge until it closed in 1990. Rosie’s mother became ill in 1990 and she took care of her for a year. After taking care of her mother, Rosie went back to Linn Technical College for four years. Rosie then started driving the van for Osage County Special Services and retired after 17 years. She loved working around people and making them smile. Rosie never knew a stranger. She was asked once why she smiled all the time, she replied that when her father and mother were making her, they were happy and smiled making me.
Rosie loved bartending at Star Lounge in Linn. She bartended for two years. Come to find out her father and mother ran the Voss Lounge for two years in Bonnots Mill. She did not know this; her grandfather Voss owned the Voss Saloon.
Rosie loved to go fishing off the docks at the Lake of the Ozarks at her cousin’s club house. She fished with her good friend Shirley Owens and had fish fries with the fish that they caught. Rosie started taking her grandsons Preston and Parker fishing, which she enjoyed immensely.
Rosie loved to make homemade soup and invite people over for lunch on their birthdays. Her brother Paul enjoyed her homemade vegetable soup and lemon pie. Rosie also made pan haus with her son Kerry Paul. She loved to cook on the holidays for her family and afterwards play games. Rosie treasured babysitting for her grandchildren and helping her sons.
She was a member of Junior Chamber, V.F.W. Auxiliary, V.F.W. Teen-Town and Catholic Life Insurance where she was the treasurer.
Visitation will be held from 4 until 6 p.m., (today) Wednesday, Sept. 11, at St. George Catholic Church in Linn followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 6 p.m. with Fr. Colin Franklin officiating. Inurnment will be held at a later date in the St. Louis of France Parish Cemetery in Bonnots Mill.
Memorial contributions suggested to St. George Catholic Church in Linn.
Arrangements entrusted to Morton Chapel in Linn.
