Rosemary Clark, our adored lady of leisure, died on Friday, April 5, in Tulsa, Okla., at the age of 74. From the plains of Kansas to the rolling hills of southwest Missouri and the lake life of northeast Oklahoma, Rosemary lived a life full of family.
On May 24th, 1949, in Great Bend, Kan., Rosemary was born fifth of the six children to Richard and Mary Gunn. Deeply rooted in American history, the Gunn value of family loyalty shaped Rose’s early years. She is now rejoined with her parents, her beloved brother, Joe, and leaves behind her remaining sister, Kathy and her family, and her brothers, Bill, Bob, and Lyle and their families.
As a young adult, Rosemary attended Kansas State Teacher’s College and received her diploma to be a schoolteacher. It was there she met her lifelong mate, John Chris Clark of Augusta, Kan.
Married for 51 years, Rosemary and Chris walked hand-in-hand through life’s ups and downs. Chris will continue to walk with Rose in his heart, cherishing all the years he had her by his side.
The couple started their newlywed life in Augusta. Rosemary was welcomed into the comfort of the numerous members of her new Clark family, and she touched so many with her generous nature. All her remaining in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews hold Rose’s light as a beacon of remembrance, especially Phyllis and Loren Roberts, Chris’s aunt and uncle who Rose adored as her own.
Surrounded by the extended Clark clan, Rosemary and Chris brought three boisterous boys into the world, Dr. Christian Dietrich Clark, MD, Dr. Joseph Crawford Clark, DC, and Bryan Bendel Clark, MBA. Rosemary was unwaveringly dedicated to raising her boys. After moving their family to Neosho, Mo., Rosemary could always be found cheering on her boys from the stands, tutoring them through their academic successes, or hosting their wild Spring Break parties. Each now a success in their own right, her boys were and will always be the central light of Rosemary’s life.
After the boys grew up, Rosemary and Chris moved to Hays, Kan. It was during these years, Rosemary and Chris’s family grew to include their daughters-in-law, Dr. Jennifer MacDonald Clark and Joy Hubele Clark. With the welcoming of her grandchildren, Elyse Rosemarie Clark and Cian Dietrich Clark, Rosemary’s love bloomed. From the most spectacular Christmas mornings to the cheekiest of smiles, Rosemary’s expansive grandmotherly love will forever envelope those most dear to her.
Rosemary and Chris finally settled into their retirement life on Grand Lake O’the Cherokees. From the perch of her favorite lounger, Rose conducted countless family gatherings full of barbecues, beer, and belly laughs. Though no longer here to partake in the festivities, Rose, now in spirit, will be heard in the stories, felt in the giggles, and endured in our memories.
The memorial service for Rosemary will be held on May 4, 2024, in Augusta, Kan. at the Christ Lutheran Church, at 11 a.m. Online condolences may be made at www.highsmithfh.comor on the funeral home Facebook page. Arrangements are in the care of the Burckhalter-Highsmith Funeral and Cremation Services of Vinita.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Burckhalter-Highsmith Funeral Home
201 N. Wilson
Vinita, OK 74301
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, April 25, 2024
