NEWHALL: Rosemary Gessner, 97, of Newhall died peacefully on July 11, 2024, at Ridgeview Assisted Living in Cedar Rapids surrounded by her loving family.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Paul Catholic Church in Newhall at 10:00 AM on Monday, July 15, 2024. Visitation will be held Sunday, July 14, 2024 from 2:00 PM until 6:00 PM also at St. Paul Catholic Church. Burial will be held following the service at St. Patrick and St. Paul Catholic Cemetery near Watkins.

Rosemary was born to Clarence and Bertha (Keating) Finn on March 25, 1927, on the family farm in Jones County, Iowa near Temple Hill. She attended St. Peter's School at Temple Hill and graduated from St. Martin's High School in Cascade in 1945. She graduated from Bayless Business College in Dubuque and worked as a secretary, including several years at Penick and Ford in Cedar Rapids. In 1959 she married Arnold Gessner at St. Peter's Church in Temple Hill. Together they farmed near Watkins and raised four children. After Arnold died in 1991, she moved to Newhall, where she lived before moving to Ridgeview Assisted Living in 2016. She was always known as a very kind and sweet person. She was a loving and devoted wife, mom and grandma and enjoyed time spent with her family. Her faith was very important to her.  She was a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church in Newhall.

She is survived by her son John Gessner, Watkins, Iowa, daughters Marlene (Curt) DoBraska, Centerville, Iowa, Joyce (Randy) Bieber, DeWitt, Iowa, and Mary (Barry) Garvin, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; grandchildren Scott (Amanda) Gessner, Ashlynn (Daniel) Riley, Matt (Jennie) Gessner, Curtis (Kim) DoBraska, Adam (Erica) DoBraska, Megan (Jake) Barber, Alison (Cody) Graham, Michael (Kylie) Bieber, Nathan Bieber, Abby (Corbin) Rinard, Sam (Alyssa) Garvin and Anna Garvin; great-grandchildren Haylen, Karsyn, Madison, Peyton, Logan, Josie, Kora and three babies due this year; brothers Ray (Mary) Finn and Tom (Rita) Finn; many nieces and nephews and her best friend of more than 50 years Rozella Lauterwasser.

Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings and their spouses Justin (Delores) Finn, Grace (Herman) Claus and Jim (Sheila) Finn, in-laws LaVerne Gessner and Verle (Florence) Gessner and two nieces Ruth Claus and Maureen Finn.

Condolences may be left at:  www.phillipsfuneralhomes.com