Amy Henrietta Rossmiller

Amy Henrietta Naber was born in Cummings County, at the end of the year 1920, the fourth child of Mathilda and Henry Naber, in a German farm community in the rolling hills of eastern Nebraska. She graduated from Uehling High School at age 16, the valedictorian of her class, with a note in the local papers about her straight A’s and her prize-winning typing skills. She also excelled in math. She attended business school in Omaha, learning to operate the comptometer, and became employed at Union Pacific Railroad as bookkeeper. During World War II she moved to St. Louis, MO and worked at the Chevrolet plant, until the end of the war, when she moved to Denver, landing a job at the Ford Parts Depot. In Denver she met Arthur Rossmiller, a handsome young carpenter and native of Denver. It wasn’t long before they decided to “tie the knot”—20 February 1948. After spending twelve years as a homemaker, she went back to work for the Denver Water Board, from which she retired in 1982. Art and Amy had a long and happy marriage. Arthur died three weeks before their 50th wedding anniversary in 1998. Amy and Arthur have three children, Celeste, Elizabeth (Ron) Quick, and Gary. Elizabeth and Gary each have three children: Sean (Kimberli), Ben and Holly (Doug) Griebenaw in Elizabeth’s family. Kevin, Adam, and Brian are Gary’s sons. Five great grandchildren. Amy is preceded in death by her elder sisters Marie Ruwe and Alice Nast and younger brother Harold Naber. She is survived by her elder brother Harvey (who will be 99 years old this month!) and younger sister Ruthie Borchers and numerous nieces and nephews. We will all miss her loving presence so much. It has been a number of years now since she was able to set the long family dining table for holidays and Saturday meals, but the memory remains. She and Arthur provided a lovely and stable home, yearly vacations, regular picnics and outings, delicious food, caringly sewed and knitted clothes, and a flowering yard. Amy learned to cook from her mother-in-law Julia, and was renowned for wonderful meals, including carrying on Julia’s traditional “chicken pot pie” (actually chicken and dumplings), cinnamon rolls, and pies. She began as a parishioner at St. John’s Lutheran Church when she first moved to Denver, and continued to be active in that congregation until her move into memory care. She was part of the St. John’s Altar Guild, did bookkeeping functions with the weekly collection, and belonged to a women’s Share Group Bible study. She provided her famous cookie-bars for funeral luncheons (expect some to appear at gatherings around her funeral), and served Lenten suppers. She also volunteered at the Catholic Worker Soup Kitchen for a time. After two broken hips, and a broken pelvis at the end of 2012, she moved into memory care at Juniper Village of Aurora. In her last years, she suffered many falls, the decline of memory and physical diminishment. She had gotten herself around independently on foot for her whole life—walking barefooted two different summers, with her brother Harvey, to Confirmation classes at her Lutheran country church as a young girl; sometimes walked to work from the Washington Park area of Denver to downtown; walked to the grocery store after Dad was no longer there to drive her; and walked with her walker around the sizeable outdoor area at Juniper Village. So, having to be in a wheelchair this last year was an added suffering to her. She was well loved by the caring staff at her last home, as was testified by their coming in to weep and wish her off the morning she died, Weds., November 8 just before dawn. Celeste was with her through her last nights. She passed away peacefully a month before her 97th birthday. Amy is preceded in death by her elder sisters Marie Ruwe and Alice Nast and younger brother Harold Naber. She is survived by her elder brother Harvey (who will be 99 years old this month!) and younger sister Ruthie Borchers and numerous nieces and nephews. SERVICES Horan-McConaty Mortuary, 1091 South Colorado Blvd., Denver. Wednesday, November 15, 7:00 p.m. Prayer service, family visitation and eulogizing Thursday, November 16, 10:00 a.m. Funeral at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 700 South Franklin St., Denver, 80209, followed by a Committal at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Ascension Masoleum, 12801 W 44th Ave, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 DONATIONS In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to one of these worthy organizations: St. John’s Lutheran Church and School 700 S. Franklin St, Denver, CO 80209 Or Lutheran Family Services of Colorado http://www.lfsco.org/ or 1600 Downing Street Suite 600 Denver, CO 80218 Or Father Woody’s Haven of Hope www.frwoodyshavenofhope.org 1101 W. 7th Ave. Denver, CO 80204 Please share your memories of Amy and condolences with her family by signing our Guestbook below.