Rose Mary Prokash

Rose Mary Prokash passed away on Good Friday, April 15, 2022, in Shawano, on her 95th birthday. Our mother died peacefully in her own bed, surrounded by and being held by her loving family. She was able to hug, kiss and be kissed by each of her 10 children the day before she passed. Rose was born April 15, 1927, in Kewaunee County, daughter of Wenzel and Elizabeth Schlies, the eighth of her parents’ nine children. She graduated from Kewaunee High School in 1944 and continued to Door-Kewaunee County College. Floyd Prokash was a childhood friend of the family. Rose accepted his proposal of marriage after he returned from serving in the U.S. Marines as a fighter pilot in World War II. They were wed on Feb. 8, 1947, at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Stangelville, where Rose was baptized, confirmed and, eventually, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Their marriage continued until Floyd’s death on Sept. 22, 2001. Rose grew up on a dairy farm, which instilled a strong work ethic throughout her long life. She first worked as a sales clerk for Gimbels Department Store in Milwaukee, until she was requested to work as secretary to the treasurer of the local senator. Rose’s time in the workforce was put on pause with her marriage to Floyd and their subsequent 10 children. She eventually returned as a salesclerk for J.C. Penney in Shawano, working for almost 15 years until she retired. Rose and Floyd were life-long committed members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and School. Rose’s commitments included teaching Catholic Christian Doctrine at Sacred Heart, singing in the funeral choir, bringing communion to hospitalized patients, working the semi-annual rummage sale as a member of the Christian Mothers, praying as an intercessory prayer warrior on the church prayer chain and catering the annual priest golf outing dinner for over 30 years. She was most proud to be a founding member of the Wisconsin Right-to-Life chapter. She prayed her rosary every day of her life. Together Rose and Floyd toured the United States in their motorhome, often wintering in Florida with their friends from the local Good Sam Club and the Shawano Area Campers. Air travel took them to Australia, Hawaii, Los Angeles, New York, Canada, New Orleans and Miami. Favorite motorcycle destinations were to area lakes and Door County. Family camping trips, boating, fishing and family reunions were always important. Rose also took every opportunity for European travel — twice with her brother and once with her daughter and granddaughter, traveling to Bosnia to visit Medjugorje, Austria, to visit relatives of Maria Von Trapp, and even connecting with distant relatives from Czechoslovakia. Talents and hobbies included tending her vegetable and flower gardens, making sauerkraut, canning tomatoes, preserving strawberry jam, baking banana bread, kolaches and sauerkraut biscuits, sewing quilts, making baby and doll clothes for her grandchildren, embroidering dish towels to give as gifts, assembling 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles, playing Bridge, Scrabble, Yahtzee, and any card or board game with her grandchildren. She even started a gym membership at age 80, staying active and meeting new friends at Curves and Strong Bones. Rose was privileged to live independently in her own home under the watchful eyes and tender assistance of family and her new best friend, Chrissy Dietrich. Even throughout COVID, she was able to have visitors with FaceTime – because Rose at age 95 was technologically capable of using her iPad. Our seemingly invincible Rose took us by surprise when she took her final breath on her 95th birthday. Her entire family was ready to celebrate another momentous birthday, even fulfilling her special request for homemade angel food cake. We misunderstood her — it was Angel Food she was going for. Rose’s 10 children: • Katherine Marie (Michael) Eiseman from McKinney, Texas; children, Michael, Matthew (Jodie), Jennifer, Elisa (Ben Thornton), Katie and Mark (Shannon); and 12 grandchildren, MacKenzie, MaKayla, Daniel, Lily, Gloria, Jonathon, Lola, Adeline, Brandon, Christian, Ethan and Bennett. • Mary Ellen Bandsma, from Lexington, Kentucky; children, Brian (Moira), Brett (Stephanie), Greg (Bridget), Emily (Nate Clark) and Sara (Bill Zastrow); and 16 grandchildren, Ward, Simon, Oliver, Adelia, Oran, Reagan, Lily, Margot, Hailey, Avery, Hazel, Issac, Isobel, James, Nora and Aidan. • David Joseph (Posie) Prokash, from Ham Lake, Minnesota; children, Heidi (Tom Zempel), Jedd (Cassie), Bridget (Brian Wisniewski) and Justin; and seven grandchildren, Ophelia, Delilah, Grayson, Braxton, Caden, Dylan and Cole. • Richard Floyd (Cindy) Prokash, from Star Prairie; children, Rick, Ben, Becky (Matt Anderson), Karl (Janelle) Campeau, Dan (Danielle) Campeau and Marcus (Rachel) Dalton; and 10 grandchildren, Nora, Josie (deceased), Elliot, Julia, Jacques, Colten, Oaklen, Izzy, Gabe, Kenton and Clea. • Nancy Elizabeth Prokash, from Shawano. • Barbara Rose (Evan) Bell, from New York; two children, Monica and Maxine. • Laura Jean (Ron) Heuer, from Austin, Texas; children, Nicole (Mark Kobriger) and Lisa Pennycook (Zack Crump), Daniel (Kimberly) Heuer, Rhonda (Mike Thacker), Laura (Chris Romeu) and Emily; and 11 grandchildren, Hailey, Henry, Hudson, Harris, Hendrix, Camille, Maya, Zachary, Xavier, Bryan and Carter. • Deborah Ann (Fred) Laedtke, from Shawano; two children, Jason and Amy (deceased); and two grandchildren: Grace and Garrett. • Paul Michael (Sherri Runge) Prokash, from Gillett. Sherri has two children, Bryce and Brittany; and one granddaughter, Mya • Jeff (Jill) Prokash, from Shawano; three children, Joe, Josh and Mark. Rose lost her granddaughter, Amy Laedtke, on April 11, 2003, just after her 16th birthday, and her great-granddaughter Josie on Dec. 12, 2020, at the tender age of five months. Rose is survived by all 10 of her children and their spouses; 55 grandchildren; 59 great-grandchildren; a brother-in law, Martin Heuer, from Seminole, Florida; two sisters-in-law, Germaine Berkovitz and Evelyn Schlies, from Manitowoc; two cousins, Jake Johanek, from Green Bay, and Theresa Schlies from Manitowoc. Surviving nieces and nephews are numerous and beloved.