Rose Ann Reischl
St. Joseph
April 21, 1937-Dec. 19, 2020
Rose Ann “Rosie” Reischl, 83, died Dec. 19, eight months to the day, after her late husband, Jerry died, just in time to share Christmas together. In her last days, the house was filled with close family members who made her journey home easier.
Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, Reischl was honored through prayer with her immediate family, followed by a private graveside interment at Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls on Dec. 23, 2020. Donations are preferred to Poor Clares in Sauk Rapids.
Reischl was born on her family’s farm in St. Joseph on April 21, 1937 to Gertrude (Pfannenstein) and Joseph Schulte. She learned hard work and resourcefulness on the farm. Being the youngest of seven surviving children, she was her dad’s sidekick for outside work, from feeding animals to cultivating and harvesting crops with horse-drawn equipment. It’s also where she learned to can just about everything, from peaches to pickles, to homemade chili and sweet corn. She lived in St. Joseph her entire life, and it’s where she met and married her husband, Jerry, and raised three children. Married for nearly 64 years, she helped maintain a beautiful home, and neatness and cleanliness were especially important. Even if it meant mowing the lawn and snowblowing, herself, if ever needed. The two always kept their hunting shack and property in the woods neat and tidy.
Reischl was an excellent cook and baker, and no one ever left without a bag of goodies, which usually included a loaf of banana bread, chocolate chip cookies and a jar of horseradish pickles. She even used a spare bedroom as a pantry for stashes of treats, like boxes of Hot Tamales and Mike’s and Ike’s, which she’d give away to visitors. She regularly carried peppermints and rolls of Smarties in her purse and pockets, to share by the fistfuls with nearly everyone she met and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. Especially when it came to food. Nothing ever went to waste, and she’d always say, “just finish it up!”
In addition to homemaking, Reischl worked at Andrews and Ace Cleaners, in St. Cloud, for more than 30 years. She also provided daycare for a local family-in-need, and her own grandchildren. She was a skilled seamstress and would often address hemming needs on-the-spot, saying “let’s do it now,” no matter what time it was, because it “wouldn’t take long.” Many relied on her for alterations, including her granddaughters, for their formal and wedding dresses to ensure perfect fits.
Reischl helped make family traditions and holidays memorable. She enjoyed playing cards with close relatives on New Year’s Eve and for other special occasions. Along with Jerry, she hosted annual Easter egg hunts. For the kids who couldn’t attend, she’d have special egg hunts to make sure things were equal, because fairness was important to her. For her favorite holiday, Christmas, Grandma Rosie always made sure the house was well-decorated, and the grandkids added ornaments and blew hands-full of artificial snow onto the Christmas tree as finishing touches. The house was also filled with Christmas music, especially Charlie Pride, and baking and icing cut-out cookies as a family. She was famous for her coveted date balls.
Reischl was dedicated to serving others and her Catholic faith, and she was a lifelong member of the St. Joseph Parish. She cooked meals for funerals, cleaned the church, volunteered for the parish Fourth of July festival each year, and she and Jerry delivered Meals on Wheels. Reischl was especially dedicated to the Poor Clares and would request special prayers of them, and through the parish prayer line, for those in need. She had strong morals, beliefs and regularly prayed the rosary.
Most of all, Reischl had a big personality, infectious laugh and could strike up a conversation with anyone, from the Schwan’s man to a shopper in the checkout line at the grocery store. She’d bump up against people, nudge them and give a poke of her elbow to lean in and talk. She also used lively, colorful language and made-up her own names and descriptions for things that made everyone laugh. It’s these unique qualities that make Reischl a truly unforgettable, and loved, sister, mother, grandmother and community member.
Survivors include her two sisters, Lucille Pallow of New Brighton and Helen (Richard) Kuebelbeck of St. Joseph, and children and grandchildren, all great sources of pride: daughter Debi (Tim) Barthelemy of Otsego and their children, Dustin (Ashley) Guggenberger of St. Cloud, Krista Reischl of Otsego, Nicholas (Amanda) Barthelemy of Lake Elmo, Abbie (David) Linder of Buffalo, and Ashley (Jason) Houtman of Mound; son Randy (Sue) Reischl of St. Joseph and their children: Amanda (Scott) Caird of Rice, Nicole (Ryan) Fischer of Rockville, and Adam (fiancé, Ali Schwinghammer) of St. Cloud; and son Rick (Lexann) of St. Augusta and their children: Brienne Reischl of Barcelona, Spain; Owen Reischl of St. Cloud and Sydney Kakuk of St. Augusta; and 12 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Jerry; brothers Leroy, George, Bill and infant Jerome; and sister, Betty.
The family is especially grateful for the many nurses from CentraCare Hospice, whose care made it possible for Reischl to spend her final days at home, surrounded by family.
