TAMA- Rosa Lea McNamee, 83, of Tama, passed away Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at Mercy Medical Center-Westlakes in West Des Moines. Funeral Services will be held Monday, March 12 at 10:30 AM at Living Faith United Methodist Church in Tama with Pastor Brian Oliver officiating. Interment will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery in Tama. Visitation will be held on Sunday, March 11, 2012 from 2-5 PM at Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home in Tama.
Rosa Lea was born on October 27, 1928, in rural Toledo, Iowa, the daughter of Ralph and Blanche (Shelton) Mason.
She graduated from Garwin High School.
On May 1, 1949, she was united in marriage to Eldon A. McNamee at the Mason home farm in rural Clutier, Iowa. For twenty-six years Rosa Lea ran the Tama City emergency dispatch out of her home.
She was a member of the Living Faith United Methodist Church in Tama where she was in the Miriam Circle. Rosa Lea was also a member of the Royal Neighbors and was a Camp Fire leader in her earlier years. She was Tama Citizen of the Year in 1995. She loved her soap operas, The Young and the Restless and the Bold and Beautiful. She also enjoyed watching the Iowa Hawkeyes. Her hobbies included puzzles, reading, and watching movies. Her greatest enjoyment was spending time with her grandchildren and her cat, Oliver.
Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, Eldon on June 23, 2002; a daughter, Marsha McNamee; a son-in-law, Roger Wiese; and one brother, Lester (Bernice) Mason.
Survivors include four daughters, Rose Ann Wiese of Toledo, Diane (Larry) Lemker of Marshalltown, Mary (Mark) Alexander of Marshalltown, and Amy (Robb) Gage of Gilman; one son, Jim (Sara) McNamee of Melbourne; ten grandchildren, Terry McNamee, Justin Anderson, Corey (Breanna) Anderson, Dara and Dirk Wiese, Adam Lemker, Travis and Sierra Gage, and Grace and Olivia McNamee; one great-granddaughter, Payton Anderson; one sister, Lela Hayslett of Tipton; one brother-in-law, Allen McNamee of Vinton; and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial fund has been established.