Rosemarie Huseman, long-time resident of Norman, died at her home on Friday, November 22, 2019 as a result of pancreatic cancer. She was born on September 12, 1940 in Tychy, Silesia, Poland to Marta (Plutta) and Ludvik Ptok and was baptized in the Roman Catholic faith. She and her parents survived the war, and two sisters were born later in the 1940’s: Gisela and Lydia. Relatives in France were able to help them during the difficult post-war era of Communist rule.
Her life-long attraction to France led her to study French at the University of Poznan, and in 1967 she travelled to Paris to continue her education at the Sorbonne. It was there that she met her future husband, William, who was in the same class. They were married in Paris on October 21, 1969, and she joined her husband in Des Moines, Iowa just before Christmas of that year. She was always grateful to her adopted family for welcoming her to their home.
After William finished his B.A. at Drake University in 1970, the couple moved to Chicago so that he could begin graduate work. Their daughter, Melissa, was born on March 29, 1971. After William completed his doctoral exams in 1974, the family moved to Paris for two years so that he could do research for his dissertation. They returned to Chicago in 1976, and her husband taught French for two years at the University of Chicago.
While in Chicago, Rosemarie studied to become a travel agent and worked for two years in a local agency before the family moved to Norman, where William had been hired as an Assistant Professor of French. She worked for the Bentley-Hedges travel agency for four years and decided in 1985 to resume her studies in French and Spanish. She received her PhD in 1991 and taught both languages at OU, Rose State College, and OCCC. She was a conscientious, imaginative, and industrious teacher and was grateful to be able to work in her chosen profession. In 1986 Thomas joined the family and successfully adapted to life in the USA. Rosemarie retired from teaching in 2005. Her knowledge of languages and the travel business served her well in her many subsequent trips to Europe, Israel, Turkey, Japan and the South Pacific.
She was proud of the accomplishments of Melissa and Tom and was overjoyed to become the grandmother of five boys: Aaron, Nate, Cole, Max, and Kai. Those who were fortunate enough to know her cherished her intelligence, wisdom, compassion, sincerity, and thoughtfulness. She loved her adopted country, and although recent national developments left her troubled, she remained optimistic that the American people would overcome any present difficulties.
Survivors include her husband of fifty years, William; her daughter Melissa and son-in-law Dennis; her son Tom and daughter-in-law Josephine; five grandsons; one sister in Germany and one in Poland; her sisters-in-law Kim, Barbara, and Brenda; four brothers-in-law Dan, Jim, Ben, and Frank; several nieces and nephews in the United States and Germany; and numerous cousins in France and Poland. After cremation, she will be inurned in Pleasant Hill cemetery in Aurelia, Iowa, near her husband’s family members.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.8.18