Rosemary Bauch

Rosemary Bauch, 83, of Freeport died Wednesday, December 14, 2011 in Freeport, with her loving family at her side, following a courageous eight year battle against non-Hodgkin'™s Lymphoma and a recent diagnosis of Leukemia. Whether you knew her as Mom, Grandma Rosie, Rosebud, Rosie or Rosemary, she always brought a smile to your face and left you a better person for having known her. She loved to laugh and she gave as good as she got it, particularly with her loving children. She was born on August 4, 1928, in Belvidere to John P. and Margaret (Curry) McKeown. She graduated in 1946 from Belvidere High School. She married Robert Bauch of Freeport at St. James Catholic Church in Belvidere on September 10, 1949. Rosemary was 100% Irish and strongly embraced her heritage. She could frequently be seen sporting some sort of Irish emblem, and went full Emerald Isle every St. Patrick'™s Day. She loved her Bears, Bulls and Cubs, and enjoyed attending many Bulls games during the Michael Jordan era. She was an enthusiastic Wheel Watcher, and her entire family knew better than to call her during Wheel of Fortune at 6:30 p.m. She enjoyed an active social life with her husband and many friends, going on shopping trips, dining out and spending many evenings at the Freeport Elks Club. Rosemary'™s greatest joys were her children and grandchildren. She took great pride in all of them, actively following their lives and reveling in their growth and accomplishments. She kept in touch with her family and many friends via her beloved email, and had even become an avid Facebook user. For 60 years without fail, she had been able to celebrate every Christmas with all of her children. She was active in Cub Scouts, Brownies, Ladies of the Elks and many other volunteer activities. Rosemary worked as the dining room hostess/cashier at the Holiday Inn/Ramada Inn of Freeport for 27 years before retiring in 2002. She loved her work and made lifelong friendships with many of the people who would frequent the restaurant. She would often speak fondly of former customers who had meant so much to her when recounting running into them elsewhere in town. Rosemary often described the thrill of her lifetime as occurring in high school while working at the Shady Lane Restaurant and Theater in Marengo. There she had the opportunity to meet and wait on Helen Keller and a group of friends. Surviving are her husband, Robert of Freeport; five daughters, Stephanie (Dan) DeFilippo of Schaumburg, Roxanne Meersman of Rockford, Mary (Steve) Torell of Plymouth, MN, Beth (David) Effa of Grayslake and Susan (Keith) Lincoln of Machesney Park; four sons, John (Jan) Bauch of Freeport, Jim (Nancy) Bauch of Madison, WI, Tom (Pam) Bauch of Schaumburg and Joe (Beth) Bauch of Rockford; 27 grandchildren, Sarah and Amy DeFilippo, Joe, Tom and Katie Meersman, Melissa Grimes and Bobby Bauch, Pat, Chris and Ben Bauch, Laura, Ryan and Allison Bauch, Emily, Mark and Brad Torell, Rebecca, Rachel and Danny Effa, Chad, Zach (Jamie), Kyle, Daniel and Sam Lincoln and Nick, Ellen and Anna Bauch; and five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Linus, Lawrence and Leo; and two sisters, Blanche Kelley and Margaret 'Gussie' Ryan. Rosemary was a proud and devout Catholic and a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Church of Freeport for almost 50 years. Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Freeport with Father Art Mallari officiating. A visitation will be held from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service at the church. Cremation rites will be accorded with burial at Calvary Cemetery in Freeport at a later date. Visitation will be Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Burke-Tubbs Funeral Home in Freeport, preceded by a Rosary Service at 12:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Rosemary'™s name to a memorial fund benefitting St. Jude Children'™s Hospital or St. Thomas Aquinas Church. Please visit the guestbook at www.burketubbs.com