Richard Lee “Dick” Rosenbury, 77, of Burlington, moved on from this world, to the next, on Sunday, June 2, 2024.
Born June 6, 1946, in Burlington, he was the son of LeRoy “Rosy” and Mary Rosenbury.
He was a 1966 graduate of Burlington High School and to avoid being drafted, he enlisted in the Air Force shortly after his high school graduation. He took that oath in the Burlington High School office, alongside two other classmates, Danny Krogmeier and John Hostetter Jr.
He would be the first to tell you that during his school years you would find him either at church or the library, but certainly NEVER causing trouble.
While in Kindergarten, as the story goes, he happened to steal the nap mat of a pretty little blonde girl, and as he told it, that is when he met the love of his life, his long-time sweetheart, Barbara Wellman.
On Nov. 12, 1966, they were married in St. John Catholic Church in Burlington, and thus the power couple, “Dick and Barb” was born. Shortly after their marriage, they relocated to Little Rock Air Force Base in Little Rock, Arkansas. From there, he was sent to Vietnam, where he served as Sargent for 1 ½ years.
As time went on, their family grew. Welcoming first two daughters and finally “the boy”. Living and loving life was the goal and Dick and Barb did just that. Together they travelled extensively, and Dick, usually reluctantly, would tag along as Barb would find a good bingo game all over the Midwest. They were definitely a pair and were well known throughout town and local tavern establishments and were always in the mood for a Haller’s taco. You could find him at any great fishing hole, and even those that weren’t so great. It didn’t matter much to him, as fishing was his therapy. All three of his children will tell you, they were holding fishing poles as soon as they were able.
He loved chasing a little white ball all over any golf course and enjoyed sitting in the blind, sipping coffee and duck hunting with friends. The sound of the duck call still echoes, coming from the basement in his home.
You could never say “worked”, so, Dick was employed at Mississippi Bakery for almost 30 years. He retired in 2007. After retirement he began assisting his daughter at Lunning Chapel and eventually began working part time as a driver for Shottenkirk. This became his great joy, as he could B.S. with people all day long.
On June 28, 2006, Barbara died, and left an unfillable hole in his heart. After her death, he was determined to be with her some day and took the steps with RCIA and became a member of Divine Mercy Parish. He remained active with the RCIA program within the church for several years and was a fixture at the 8 a.m. St. Paul’s mass.
You could find Dick all around town at his “hot spots”. Breakfasts at the Hungry Bear, Jerry’s Main Lunch, the Maidrite and others became part of his daily and weekly routines. His children would like to extend the most heart felt THANK YOU, to all those that were indeed part of his life. In recent years, it truly has been humbling to know those TRUE individuals that loved him and watched out for him, It did NOT go unnoticed! He will be greatly missed. He will be remembered for his sense of humor, his unmatched wit and his ability to make people smile.
He leaves behind his three children, the one and only GDFKIDS; Cris (Ethan Carter) Brodersen, Rochelle (Chris) Swanner and Brad (Kari) Rosenbury; grandchildren, Kayla Tijernia, Kevin (Anne) Brodersen, Marissa (Trevor) Hostetter, Kourtney Waterhouse, Kameron Waterhouse, Samantha (Aaron) Magee, Lilly Rosenbury, Raven Rosenbury and Vivian Rosenbury; great grandchildren, George, Frank, Kataleya, Pheonyx, Macklynn, Tatum and Conlee; siblings, Linda (Tom) Hull and Kenny (Cheryl) Rosenbury; his in-laws, Gerald Wellman, Pat (Fred) Wilson, Debbie (Jim) Brown, Laura (William) Bryant and Doreen (Chuck) Pope; several nieces and nephews and many, MANY, adopted GDF Kids.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 7 at Lunning Chapel where the family will receive friends. The Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 8 at St. John Catholic Church of Divine Mercy Parish. The Rev. Father Dominic Nguyen will be the celebrant. The Burlington Area Veterans Honor Guard will conduct military rites. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established for the Big Hollow Recreational Area for children’s fishing and hunting activities.