Rosemary Ann Connell, 93, passed away on Monday, November 2, 2020 at her home in Freeport. Widow of James Grattan Connell, who preceded her in death in 2010, Rosemary was born to Michael and Marie (Strohman) Dunn, January 8, 1927, in Keswick, Iowa. Her siblings: James (Betty) Dunn; Mary (Jerry) Hughes; Lucille (Kenny) Butler; and Francis (MaryAnn) Dunn (her surviving brother and his wife).
Rosemary was mother to: Kevin (Charleen) Connell, Naperville, IL.; Timothy (JoAnn) Connell, Thornton, CO.; Christopher (Christine) Connell, Woodstock, IL.; Michaela (Mark) Holey, Sturgeon Bay, WI.; Sean Connell, Evergreen, CO.; and Nicholas (Cindy) Connell, Freeport, IL.
Rosemary was grandmother to: Melanie (Josh) Marshman, Washington, PA; Schuyler Evan Connell, Phoenix, AZ; Melissa (Julian) Baumgartner, Lincolnwood, IL.; Katey (Jason) Bey, Naperville, IL.; Erin (Tyler) Anderson, Bailey, CO.; Steve (Bekah) Connell, Durango, CO.; Brendan Connell, Woodstock, IL.; Nathan Connell, Denver, CO; Oliver Holey, Sturgeon Bay, WI; Michael Holey, Sturgeon Bay, WI.; Great grandchildren: Landon Noah Marshman, Washington, PA; Miles Baumgartner, Lincolnwood, IL; Ava Baumgartner, Lincolnwood, IL.; Jay Palma, Naperville, IL.; Wesley Bey, Naperville, IL.
When once asked what her first musical memory was, Rosemary couldn't recall a time when music wasn't part of her life. She began as a child by playing her grandmother's pump organ installed in the hall at the bottom of the stairs in their farmhouse in Iowa. (How she begged her father to replace the straps on the pedals!)
During high school in Keswick, IA, she found boxes of outdated music and used these for practice. Then she was called on to perform for plays and programs. During years from eighth grade on, she played and sang at Our Lady of Lourdes church there which was using the Catholic Latin Mass at that time.
She began her formal study at Ottumwa Heights College, a women's Catholic college staffed by the Sisters of Humility. Rosemary also put the family heirloom violin to service in the school string ensemble which performed at local events in Ottumwa. The Sisters of Humility had an affiliate college in Davenport, IA., Marycrest, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Music. After graduate performances in her major, she began teaching music to grades one through twelve, in the public schools in Morning Sun, IA., in 1948.
In 1950, she married James Grattan Connell of Davenport, IA., and they soon began their family, moving to Freeport in 1953, and eventually completing their family of five boys and one girl. After the children where all in school, she continued her career as a music educator in the Rockford public school system where her duties included instructing students in two to three schools with an agenda of classroom music and seasonal program performances.
While at Nashold School she organized a Boys Choir, grades four through eight, comprised of 50 students, which sang for school programs and appeared often at Rockford venues. During her many years in Rockford, she began work on her Masters degree at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Applying her classroom and performance experiences, she completed her Masters thesis on Instructing Boys Choirs in Public Schools.
Over the decades, during her personal time, she was always active in contributing to the various Freeport Catholic Churches' music liturgies: organ performance at Saint Thomas, directing choirs at Saint Joseph, and Saint Mary, plus singing for numerous weddings upon request.
At her retirement from teaching in Rockford after 30 years, the administration staff informed Rosemary that she had directed no fewer than 90 programs, plays, and performances of students during her career at the Rockford Public Schools. In her later years, she also volunteered at the Skilled Nursing hospital at Freeport Health Network with weekly piano performances for patients. After the nursing program ended, the grand piano, donated by the James C. Skyrms family, was moved to the FHN lobby where she continued playing on weekends and holidays.
Rosemary's local musical contributions continued at Provena Saint Joseph (now called Presence). While Sister Gabriel was the administrator at the nursing home and special needs facility, she asked Rosemary to play their organ for Sunday mass at the Sacred Heart Chapel which continued for over ten years, frequently with Father J. Robert Camacho as the celebrating priest. Her musical liturgies from now on will be of the celestial variety.
A private funeral service was presided over by Father Camacho and attended by immediate family on Friday, November 6, 2020 at the Schwarz Funeral Home with burial at Calvary Cemetery.