Rosaline Louise "Rosie" Ulrey

Rosaline Louise “Rosie” Ulrey, 99, North Manchester, Indiana, passed away September 21, 2022, at her home. The only daughter of the late Verlie Burdette and Edna Rosette (Umbarger) Howard, Rosie was born on January 27, 1923, in Walton, Indiana.

After graduating from Walton High School in 1941, Rosie married Wallace “Wally” Ulrey on November 2, 1941. During their nearly sixty-eight years of marriage, they were blessed with three sons, David, Stephen, and Jerald. People often asked if they were newlyweds because of the love they had for one another. In 1959 Rosie began working for Heckman Bindery. For twenty-nine years she restored rare and valuable books by hand until her retirement in 1988.

At the center of Rosie and Wally’s marriage was their faith. They were both members of Servia United Church of Christ before it closed, and they then joined New Hope United Church of Christ in Bippus. Rosie spent over fifty years teaching Bible School, Sunday School, cooking, and being involved in other youth programs at church. She and Wally were also in “The Victory Class”, which was a church group that gathered and brought their families together.

Rosie was kind, caring, nurturing, and faithful. She never judged others, loved unconditionally, and provided a sense of safety for others that will never be forgotten by her family and friends. A quiet soul, Rosie’s actions let people know how much she cared. From spending time with her grandchildren on vacations to tending to the needs of others to mushroom hunting with friends, Rosie was a woman who loved people for being themselves. For many years she volunteered her time cooking for Habitat for Humanity and helping with the blood bank for the American Red Cross, where she also served as co-chair for three years. Rosie was also an excellent cook and had her own secret BBQ sauce that made the best chicken.

The loving memory of Rosaline “Rosie” Ulrey will be forever cherished by her sons, David (Paula) Ulrey, Fort Wayne, Stephen “Steve” (Mary Jane) Ulrey, North Manchester, and Jerald “Jerry” (April Lynn) Ulrey, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; fourteen grandchildren; thirty-two great-grandchildren; and eleven great-great-grandchildren. Rosie was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Wallace Ulrey; brothers, Duane Burdette Howard and Hobert Eldon Howard; granddaughters, Shawnee Ulrey and Michelle Hughes; and two great-grandchildren, Hunter Sturdevant and Matthew Reddick.

Family and friends may call Friday, September 30, 2022, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at McKee Mortuary, 1401 State Road 114 West, North Manchester, Indiana. A celebration of Rosie’s life will begin at the conclusion of calling, with Pastor Conrad Thompson will officiate.

For those who wish to honor the memory of Rosaline “Rosie” Ulrey, memorial contributions may be made to Habitat for Humanity, 322 West Lamar Street, Americus, Georgia, 31709 or Parkview Home Health and Hospice, 1900 Carew Street, Suite 6, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 46805.

The family of Rosaline “Rosie” Louise Ulrey has entrusted McKee Mortuary with final arrangements. 

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