Rose Mary Myers

She was born in Springfield, IL, to Armella Marie (née Meyer) and John Henry Peifer. She moved to Lincoln, IL before she was two years old when John got a job at the local casket factory. Her father died from a stroke when she was 7, so her mother went to work at Landauer’s clothing store where she stayed for over 50 years. The family was poor but hard working and kept food on the table. Rose Mary and her brother John William, 2 years her junior, were both bright and able to attend the nearby St. Mary’s school on a scholarship. Her brother left home at age 12 for St. Bede school and seminary in Peru, IL. He stayed there the rest of his life, becoming a monk, biblical scholar and eventually abbot (Abbot Claude, O.S.B.) of the monastery.

After high school, Rose Mary expanded her horizons. She attended Lincoln College, before moving on to the University of Illinois in Champaign, IL. She completed her BS in Accounting, then stayed in Champaign working various jobs at the University. In 1950 she saved enough money to take a solo trip to Europe on an ocean liner, visiting mostly religious sites in France, Italy and the Vatican. Back in Champaign, at the university’s Newman Club, she met an ROTC instructor, Air Force pilot, and engineer, Robert L. Myers, whom she married in 1953. His work took them to Baltimore, MD (AC Spark Plugs), Indianapolis, IN (Allison Engines), and then to Washington (Boeing). They built a home in the new community of Somerset in Bellevue in 1961 and Rose Mary lived there for 47 years.

Rose Mary truly embraced being a mother and raised four happy and healthy sons. She was a talented baker, prolific house plant grower and a big fan of the scenery in her adopted state. The family went on many hikes and driving vacations, visiting parks and scenery throughout the West. As with many members of the “Greatest Generation”, she was generous, hardworking, proper, and frugal. She was the family data bank, keeping track of supplies, schedules, milestones and holidays not just for the family but the whole neighborhood. She persevered through the loss of her father, the Great Depression, World War II, and the great Boeing layoff (which made her a champion coupon clipper and saver).

When her husband Bob retired and the “boys” had moved out, Rose Mary and Bob took the opportunity to travel abroad – even going to Russia and Antarctica. Bob died of Parkinson’s in 2005, and she eventually left her beloved home and Puget Sound view in 2008. Toward the end of her life Rose Mary endured dementia which gradually stole her incredible memory and sharp intellect but she kept her smile and sweet nature intact to the end.

Rose Mary is preceded in death by her parents John and Armella, her husband Bob, her brother William, and her son Jeffrey Claude Myers. She is survived by her sons Joseph John (Paula Moreschi) Myers (Seattle, WA), Robert James (Tracy) Myers (Mukilteo, WA), James Paul (Patrishia) Myers (Woodinville, WA), and her daughter-in-law Joanna Forbes (Moorpark, CA). She is also survived by her four grandchildren, Nicolas J. Myers, Collette K. (Shane) Myers/Ingalls, Samuel A. Myers and Lilly M. Myers.

On Nov. 20 there will be a funeral mass at 10:30am at Holy Rosary in Edmonds followed by a reception at 11:30am in the church social hall. Then, at Sunset Hills Memorial Park in Bellevue, there will be a burial service at 1:30pm.

Donations may be made in her name to The Benedictine Society of St. Bede at 24 West US Highway 6 in Peru, IL, 61354 or go to their website: https://www.stbedeabbey.org