ONAGA – Rosalee O'Roke, 81, of Onaga, died Sunday, December 6, 2020 at her daughter's home in Wathena.

She was born December 13, 1938 at Manhattan, the daughter of Raymond and Sibyl Smith Newell. She graduated from Onaga High School in 1956.

Rosalee worked at Bob's Steak House in Onaga for twenty years. She later worked at C.R. Manufacturing in Seneca, which became S.K.F. Manufacturing.

She was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Onaga.

She married Orville K. O'Roke on October 29, 1958 at El Paso, Texas. He preceded her in death on April 19, 2006.

Rosalee was also preceded in death by her parents, two grandchildren, Jennifer Rutti and Christopher O'Roke, two brothers, David Newell and Harold Newell, and five sisters, D. Esther Toothaker, Alice Maiden, Marjorie Ferguson, Amie Smith and Lola Zwahl.

Survivors include three sons, Leslie O'Roke, St. Joseph, MO, Carl O'Roke, Centralia and Joseph O'Roke, Tecumseh, NE; two daughters, Deborah Ratliff, Marysville and Kathleen Kerns, Wathena; ten grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, December 12th at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. Burial will follow in the Onaga Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at the church, with a Rosary being prayed at 6:30 p.m. Rosalee will lie in state Friday until 4:00 p.m. at the Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Onaga. Please wear a mask for all of the services. Memorials are suggested to the Rosalee O'Roke Memorial Fund, and may be sent in care of the funeral home, P.O. Box 312, Onaga, 66521. A livestream of the Mass can be viewed at this link. https://youtu.be/B4zazdpvVOw

Due to a problem with the YouTube channel, Rosalee's service can be viewed at St. Vincent de Paul's Facebook page.