Rosemary Wingerter | 1954 - 2023
Obituaries-Mobridge / Posted Mar 21, 2023 | 12:44 PM / 469 views
Rosemary Wingerter was born on December 7, 1954, to Edward and Mary Ann Dillman in Mobridge, South Dakota. She and her younger brother, Dale, grew up on the family dairy farm near Walker, South Dakota. She attended school in Mcintosh, South Dakota and graduated high school in 1973. When the county roads were blocked with snow drifts, Rose’s father would use a horse and sled to take her and her brother three miles to the highway so they could take a bus to school. At graduation, Rosemary received a special award for not missing a single day of high school. She applied that same dedication and care to everything in her life.
Rosemary and her husband, Tim, first met as young teenagers after Mass at St. Philomena Catholic Church in Selfridge, North Dakota. They were married in that same church in 1975.
Rosemary had a gift for caring for others. She began nursing school at North Dakota State University and later graduated from Bismarck School of Nursing in 1979. After graduation, she started her career at Mandan Hospital in Mandan, ND and later worked at Med Center 1 in Bismarck, ND.
The couple made their home in Mandan, North Dakota until 1987, when they moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, so Tim could complete a master’s degree at the University of Alaska.
Rosmary worked at Dr. Robert Taylor’s Urology Clinic in Fairbanks for a few years and then joined Fairbanks Memorial Hospital in the early 1990s as an operating room nurse and Life Alaska Donor Services team member. Over the years Rosmary helped to train many nurses and operating room staff. Rosemary loved her job and had a large network of amazing friends and co-workers.
Rosemary was a devoted and loving wife to her husband Tim and mother to her two sons, Joe, and Jimmy. She had five grandchildren whom she adored. Rosemary’s greatest blessing was her family, and she was so proud of being a grandmother. Rosemary cherished time with her family and loved participating in home building projects and many hunting and fishing adventures with her husband and two sons.
Rosmary was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2014. She had a major stroke in 2020, from which she miraculously recovered. She fought a long and valiant battle with cancer and worked at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital until January 2023. Rosemary passed away peacefully at home on February 18 with her husband, two sons and Father Ross of Sacred Heart Cathedral by her side. Rosemary passed just hours after her newest grandson, Leo, was born. She held on to life until his safe arrival into this world, and for her son Jimmy to make it from Anchorage to be by her side. After she saw pictures of newborn baby Leo, first child to Jimmy and Rachel, she smiled, closed her eyes, and left us to join our heavenly Father.
Surviving family members include her husband Tim, son Joe and his wife Lindsay, son Jimmy and his wife Rachel, her brother Dale Dillman and his wife Teresa and their children and grandchildren, mother-in-law Agnes Wingerter, and her five grandchildren: Gavin, Ruby, Max, Jack and newborn baby Leo.
Rosemary was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers who died in infancy.
The family of Rosemary wishes to thank her doctors, caregivers, co-workers and friends for their unending love and support during her long battle with cancer. Your support gave us more precious time with our beloved wife, mother, and grandmother.
A visitation will be held at Saint Philomena Catholic Church, Selfridge, North Dakota, March 24 from 10:30 AM CT – 11:30 AM CT. Praying of the Rosary will start at 11:00 AM CT.
A Catholic Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Saint Philomena Catholic Church, Selfridge, North Dakota, March 24 at 11:30 AM CT. Msgr. Chad Gion will conduct the service.
The Mass will be livestreamed on the website www.evansonjensenfuneralhome.com and can be viewed by going to Rosemary’s obituary and clicking on “View Funeral Service Here”.
Interment will take place at St. Philomena Catholic Cemetery in Selfridge, North Dakota after the Mass.
A reception will be held at the Branding Iron in Selfridge, North Dakota, after the internment.
Online condolences may be made to the family at ejfh@sdplains.com.
The family asks that Memorial donations may be made to Saint Philomena Catholic Church in Selfridge, North Dakota 58568.