Minnie Rockwell, 102, of Wayne, formerly of Omaha, died Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022 at Providence Medical Center in Wayne.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 12 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Wayne. Visitation, will be from 10 a.m. until service time at the church. Burial will be in Westlawn Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Omaha
Arrangements are with Hasemann Funeral Home in Wayne.
Minnie Pauline Rockwell was born in Nebraska City on June 25, 1919 to Clyde and Edith (Mischnick) Goldsberry, Minnie was the youngest of seven children. On Aug. 15, 1936 Minnie and Alton F. (Rocky) Rockwell eloped to Rock Port, Missouri to be married. Minnie was the first of her family to graduate from Nebraska City High School in 1937, an accomplishment she was proud of.
The couple lived in Nebraska City and Washington, D.C. before settling in Omaha and raising their six children. During much of this time, Minnie was a stay-at-home mother who was often characterized as independent. Later, she maintained a 20-year career as a clerk for the Bell Telephone Company (Century Link) until she retired in 1979.
Wanting to flee from foul weather, Rocky and Minnie began wintering in Weslaco, Texas in 1980. They also moved their summer home to Wayne in 1989. After Rocky’s death (1994), Minnie continued spending the winter months in Weslaco where she and Robert Walstead met. Robert and Minnie were married in 1996. They made Texas their permanent residence and enjoyed the activities and friends of that community until Robert passed in 2011.
Minnie often partook in her favorite pastimes: traveling, camping, fishing, bowling, crocheting, watching hummingbirds, and playing games such as cards, bingo, dominoes, or shuffleboard. She was an avid Nebraska athletics fan, looking forward to each football season. Her favorite flowers were pansies.
Survivors include her children Janetta Finch of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Norman (Alyce) Rockwell of Yuma, Arizona; Terri (David) Headley of Wayne; and Pamela (Edward) Hunt of Plattsmouth; 12 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren and two stepsons, Robert and Thomas Walstead.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands; two sons, Richard and Michael, and two grandchildren, Tammi Thoreson and Penny Albrecht.
