Rose Marie Huckstep

Rose “Rosie” Marie (Meyer) Nilges Huckstep, 86, of Linn, passed away on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at SSM Health St. Mary’s in Jefferson City.

She was born January 27, 1938, at Bonnots Mill, the daughter of the late Eward H. Meyer and Helen (Voss) Meyer. Her mother, Helen, died in 1941 when Rosie was just four years old. Her father, Ed, married Pauline (Burkett) of Jefferson City. Pauline raised Rosie and her brother Paul in Linn.

Rosie was a member of St. George Church and went to St George School for eight years and then went to Linn High School for four years.

On June 30, 1956, she married Eugene G. Nilges. They had three wonderful sons, Terry Eugene Nilges and his wife Debbie of Iowa; Jerry Ray Nilges (who died December 19, 2020); and Kerry Paul Nilges and his wife Jennifer of Linn. She has six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She had one brother, Paul H. Meyer of Jefferson City, who owned Meyer’s Electric Company. Paul died May 28, 2018, at Sun City, AZ, his winter home. Paul had three children, Lisa, Jeffrey (who preceded her in death) and Steve. Rosie later married Gary W. Huckstep, at his club house on the Osage River on September 29, 1990. They moved later into Gary’s grandmother’s home at 700 E. Main Street, Linn where they resided for over 30 years. Also surviving are Gary’s children, Tina Huckstep and her spouse, Vickie of Linn and Gina Huckstep and her husband, Brian Patterson of Linn, and J.D. Huckstep and his wife Jen of Jefferson City. Gary preceded her in death on November 28, 2023.

When Rosie was a young lady, 15 years old, she was a waitress at the Palace Inn where she worked all summer. Rosie came back to Linn and went to Linn High School and started working after school at Green Gables Café as a waitress for three years until she married Gene Nilges in 1956. Rosie was a stay-at-home mom with her three sons. When they started school Rosie started working for Linn Technical College in 1967 and worked there for 27 years. She loved the job. In 1959 to 1964 Rosie started V.F.W. Teen-Town with Virgil and Velen Morris. They met every Wednesday night for four years. Bill Reynolds of MO History took some pictures of the V.F. W. Teen-Town and placed them on Facebook. Over 1,000 people responded to Bill in 2017. That was wonderful. Gary and Rosie also worked at Duck’s Unlimited dinners for 26 years at St. George in Linn.

Rosie was the first lady to become a school bus driver in Linn for Lawrence Rudruff who owned the business. He taught her how to drive a 73-passenger bus which she drove for 11 years. Then she went to work for Scholastic Book Company for 11 years and worked evenings at Linn Technical Lounge until it closed in 1990. Rosie’s mother became ill in 1990, she took care of her for a year. After taking care of her mother, Rosie went back to Linn Technical College for four years. Rosie then started driving the van for Osage County Special Services and retired after 17 years. She loved working around people and making them smile. Rosie never knew a stranger. She was asked once why she smiled all the time, she replied that when her father and mother were making her, they were happy and smiled making me. 

Rosie loved bartending at Star Lounge in Linn. She bartended for two years. Come to find out her father and mother ran the Voss Lounge for two years in Bonnots Mill. She did not know this; her grandfather Voss owned the Voss Saloon.

Rosie loved to go fishing off the docks at the Lake of the Ozarks at her cousin’s club house. She fished with her good friend Shirley Owens and had fish fries with the fish that they caught. Rosie started taking her grandsons Preston and Parker fishing, which she enjoyed immensely. 

Rosie loved to make home-made soup and invite people over for lunch on their birthdays. Rosie’s brother Paul enjoyed her home-made vegetable soup and lemon pie. Rosie also made pan haus with her son Kerry Paul. She loved to cook on the holidays for her family and after play games. Rosie treasured babysitting for her grandchildren and helping her sons.

Rosie was a member of Junior Chamber, V.F.W. Auxiliary, V.F.W. Teen-Town and Catholic Life Insurance where she was the treasurer.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at St. George Catholic Church in Linn with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 6:00 p.m. with Fr. Colin Franklin as the Celebrant. Inurnment will be held at a later date in the St. Louis of France Parish Cemetery in Bonnots Mill.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to St. George Catholic Church in Linn.

Arrangements are under the direction of Morton Chapel, Linn, Missouri (897-2214)  www.mortonchapel.com