Blanche Irene Rose

Memorial Services for Blanche I. Rose will be conducted from the Bethel Lutheran Church in Holdrege, Nebraska on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Paul Snider officiating. Interment will be held prior to services at 9:00 a.m. in the Highland Cemetery near Bertrand, Nebraska.

Blanche Irene Rose, 93 years of age, of Holdrege, passed away on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at Holdrege Memorial Homes in Holdrege. Blanche was born April 13, 1918 north of Funk in Phelps County, Nebraska, to Chris and Tilda (Rodine) Epping. She was baptized May 2, 1921 and later when on a tour to Israel, she was baptized again in the River Jordan. She later attended Emmaus Sunday School in her early youth. Her childhood was spent on the family farm north of Funk.

She attended school in Holdrege, graduating from Holdrege High School with the class of 1935. She then attended Kearney State Teacher's College in Kearney.

Blanche taught elementary grades at Keystone and Harmony schools for nine years.

On June 11, 1941, Blanche was united in marriage to John Warren Rose of Loomis. Pastor Gustaf E. Lindsten of Fridhem Church of Funk, Nebraska, officiated the ceremony at her parent's home. The couple resided on a farm near Bertrand where they were engaged in farming.

They became members of the Immanuel Lutheran Church in 1941. In this parish she immediately began teaching Sunday school and continued to teach for 25 successive years. She also directed the Junior Missionary Society, then known as the Junior Mission Band for a period of ten years. Blanche also was a Bible School teacher for many summers. When the Augustana Lutheran Junior Girl's Camp of Nebraska conveined at Covenant Cedar's Bible Camp for their annual weekly summer camping session, she was a counselor and Bible teacher there for several years.

Following John's death in 1972, Blanche kept her home on the farm for twelve years. In 1978, 1979 and 1981 she accompanied her sister Ardyce and brother-in-law Bart Blakeley on four study tours to the Holy Land and adjoining biblical lands.

Prior to her move into Holdrege in 1984 she taught an adult Bible study, which continued weekly for seven years. Her church membership was transferred to Bethel Lutheran in 1985.

Since 1974 she has continued to sponsor a child in Calcutta, India, presently sponsoring, Monoj Mongol.

Besides her parents and husband, John, she was preceded in death by five brothers and sisters-in-law: Eric H. Epping, Fred Epping, Roy and Alfreda Epping, Erick M. and Beulah Epping and Ben Epping; five sisters and brothers-in-law: Pearl and Eric Collin, Rose Haverty, Ellen and Ruben Johnson, Ruby Epping and Mae and Jared Ekholm, brother-in-law, Bart Blakeley.

She leaves to mourn her passing, her youngest sister, Ardyce Blakeley of Holdrege, sister-in-law, Luella Epping of Funk; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held on Monday, March 26, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. with the family greeting from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege.

A memorial has been established and kindly suggested to World Challenge, Attn: Shauna, PO Box 260, Lindale, Texas, 75771.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.