Roseleen E. Wicks

June 4, 1919 - April 27, 2020

Roseleen E. Wicks, 100 of South Beloit passed away Monday, April 27, 2020. Born June 4, 1919, in South Beloit, the daughter of John Christopher and Rose Luella (Austin) Gaffey, she was their eldest child. She married Lyle “Bud” Wicks on March 8, 1941. They raised a family in South Beloit where they enjoyed many happy years together until his death in June 1982. Roseleen was the quintessential homemaker throughout her life and nothing meant more to her than her family. She was a great cook and passed down many family recipes to her children and grandchildren over the years. She was also an excellent baker. Roseleen made many birthday cakes, cookies and pies, but her family particularly enjoyed her fudge and apple slices. Roseleen could also be found mending clothes or making them from patterns. She was happy knitting and made many afghans to give to family and other special people in her life Over the years, Roseleen worked and volunteered at various places, but she would happily recall her time spent at McCleary’s in South Beloit as well as her time at Tex’s Grocery Store in South Beloit where her two eldest grandchildren have fond memories of sitting behind the counter with Grandma as she helped customers in the store. Roseleen was a soldier in the Salvation Army where she attended church services and also spent time volunteering. Throughout her 100 years, Roseleen had many hobbies. She enjoyed trips with her family and as her children grew older she made sure to stay close to home where she was always there to help out with anything they needed. She would still take extended trips, but they were usually to Iowa where she would visit her youngest child and his family. Roseleen found great entertainment gambling. She was a regular at the American Legion Bingo Hall in South Beloit. She spent many evenings at the hall listening to her brother, Grant, call out numbers while her sister, Mary, and her chased after the thrill of calling out bingo. On occasion, Roseleen would also have fun playing slots during trips to various casinos. Roseleen could be found many evenings in her home sipping a cup of green tea and working on a crossword puzzle while watching the Chicago Cubs. She was a lifelong Cubs fan and passed along her fandom to many of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a sports fan in general and also liked rooting on the Bears or watching countless rounds of golf. She loved birds and had a pet cockatiel, Binky, for many years. She would enjoy sitting outside watching the birds come and go. The only birds she didn’t like were the pesky Cardinals from St. Louis, although the cardinals outside her windows were just fine with her. Roseleen will be remembered as a loving, caring person who was always there to help someone out whenever they needed it. She is survived and will be sadly missed by her children, Roseleen (Art) Halverson, Lyla (Patrick) Ward and Lyle (Regina) Wicks; grandchildren, Brenda, Jim, Christopher, Mathew, Roy, Lyle, Mike and Ben; 19 great and 6 great-great grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Gerry, Diane and Joyce; brothers-in-law, Fred and Laurie and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lyle “Bud” Wicks, granddaughter, Karen, sister, Mary and brothers Grant and Frankie. The family would like to thank Fair Oaks Rehabilitation and Health Care Center for taking such good care of Roseleen for the last 6 ½ years and would also like to thank Hospice for their great care over the past year. Their Kindness was greatly appreciated. Graveside services will take place at Floral Lawn Cemetery at a later date. Rosman Funeral Home assisted the family. To express online condolences, please visit: www.rosmanfuneralhome.com. 364-4477