Malee Kathern Rosonke, 83
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Malee Kathern Rosonke on April 29, 2025, at the age of 83. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, cherished by all who knew her.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 9, 2025, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Visitation will be one hour before the service.
A time for fellowship and lunch will follow Mass at the parish hall.
Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, is in charge of arrangements. Family and friends may sign the online guestbook at www.schriversmemorial.com. Services will be recorded and posted on Schriver’s website following the service.
Malee Kathern Shaw was born on December 27, 1941, to Jack and Bernice (Kennedy) Shaw in New Hampton.
She moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and graduated from high school, then went on to nursing school.
She married Jerome Rosonke on Aug. 10, 1963, and they shared 61 years of marriage. Their four children are LaCinda (Howard) Tilton of Casper, Wyoming, the late Lisa (Brent) Olson of Aberdeen, South Dakota, Dr. Brad Rosonke of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Kimberly (Alan) Rausch of Humboldt, South Dakota. She had five grandchildren — Shae (Colby) Lynch, Parker Rausch, Blake Olson, Tiffany (Taten) Thomassan and Malee Olson and also to three great-grandchildren — Tate Lynch, Nolan Rausch and soon-to-be Oliver Rausch.
Malee spent many years in the nursing profession. She started as an OB nurse and ended her 46-year nursing career at an assisted living center.
She loved her elderly patients. She was always willing to help out where needed, she would bring baby chicks or baby lambs for the residents to “remember the good ole days.”
She also had a great love for sheep. She kept her sheep until the age of 83 before she decided she did not want to feed them through another winter. She still insisted she wanted bottle lambs through in the spring and not just one or two, she was talking 10!
She was known to “hide animals” from Jerome in order to help an animal who needed an extra boost of tender loving care.
She was a master gardener, gave many talks on starting seeds and helped with the Brown County Fair.
Malee was very active in AARP and gave many talks on Fraud and helped at events for AARP.
A joint burial service with Jerome Rosonke, her husband, will be held in New Hampton, their hometown, on Saturdaym July 26, 2025, at Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home at 12:30 p.m.
She will be deeply missed by all, but never forgotten. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jerome Rosonke; her daughter, Lisa Olson; her brother Maurice Shaw; and her parents.
Please make donations to the Master Gardeners of Brown County.
You will make a great angel.
