Obituary of Rosella Palmquist-Sexe

 

Rosella Palmquist-Sexe passed away at home in peace and comfort after a short illness, surrounded by family on March 23, 2022. She was born to Ernest and Elsie Thoele on April 12, 1920, in New Sweden, Minnesota. In 1938, she married the boy next door, Albin Palmquist.

 

Rosella and Albin moved to a small hobby farm across the river from St. Peter in the early 1940s, where they raised their three children, Jeanette, Allan, and Virginia. She was one of the first employees at ADC Products, where she worked for many years. Albin and Rosella enjoyed many adventures in their fifty-three years together, and Albin cultivated a love of fishing in Rosella, starting from one of their first dates. (She even had to steal a pair of pants from her brother to wear to the lake--and took his Sunday best!) Fishing trips to northern Minnesota were well-loved by the whole family, and she greatly enjoyed sharing a panful of fried sunnies during her last week.

 

Rosella married long-time family friend, Henry Sexe, after the passing of both their spouses. They became Texas snowbirds and “Rosie” particularly enjoyed the citrus trees in her backyard. She was widowed for a second time in 1995 but continued to delight in her warmer winters and Texas friends for many years.

 

Sewing was one of Rosella’s favorite hobbies. She made many quilts in her lifetime, often sewing hundreds of small patches by hand during car trips. Later in life, she began machine sewing large blocks for twin-sized mission quilt tops. She made several thousand of these during her last twenty years, aiming to sew one a day, and especially appreciated the help of her friend Mary Olson and daughter Ginny. Rosella singlehandedly kept many area churches well-supplied with quilt tops to be tied together and given to those in need. She had a heart of gold and was always willing to pitch in and help. Rosella loved quilting, canning, gardening, and cooking because “You just gotta have something to do.”

 

Rosella is preceded in death by her parents, brother Marvin, husbands Albin and Henry, son Allan, and granddaughter Melissa. She is survived by daughters Jeanette (Walter) Momot and Ginny (Roger) Cooper; grandchildren John (Susan) Momot, Will Momot, Claire Momot, Todd (Shirin Butler) Palmquist, Amy (Mark) Palmquist-Schaetzke, Jeff (Janet) Cooper, Greg (Denise) Cooper, Laurie (Karl) Everitt; great-grandchildren Albin, Leelee, Joy, Beth, Thomas, Orlin, Cora, and Priya; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and good friends.

 

Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Peter, Minnesota, will hold a visitation at 10 am and funeral service at 11 am on Saturday, April 2^nd, followed by interment at Resurrection Cemetery.

 

Memorials may be sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Trinity Lutheran Church of St. Peter, Minnesota.

 

Special thanks to Golden Heart for their months of helping Rosella rethread her sewing machine, and who, along with St. Croix Hospice during her last few days, provided invaluable aid in supporting Rosella. Their care and kindness greatly eased a difficult transition for the whole family, and maintained Rosella’s cheer, dignity, peace, and comfort throughout. “Thank you, thank you” from all her family.