Rosa Lee Emerson Newkirk

A funeral service celebrating the life of Rosa Lee Emerson Newkirk, 92, formerly of Kirkersville, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 16, 2018, in the chapel of the Kirkersville home of HOSKINSON Funeral and Cremation Service, with burial to follow in the Kirkersville Cemetery. Rosa Lee died peacefully on Sunday, March 11, 2018 in Morton, Illinois, following a brief illness. She was born May 16, 1925, in Kirkersville, the daughter of the late Mary Gladys (Reelhorn) and H. Lee Emerson.She was a graduate of Kirkersville H.S. and Miami University. On June 29, 1947, she married Harold Jerome Newkirk. After marriage, she taught Commercial Subjects at the Hebron H.S. for four years. She then retired to raise her family and assist her mother and husband in running the family funeral home, Emerson-Newkirk, at 285 East Main Street in Kirkersville. She received her Ohio Funeral Directors License in 1969, and worked alongside Gladys and Harold until their retirement in 1983. In retirement, she and Harold wintered in Sebring, Florida, and remained active members of the community. Rosa Lee was a lifelong member of the Kirkersville United Methodist Church, where she held many positions, including Trustee, Administrative Board, Pastor Parish, United Methodist Women and was lay delegate to annual conference for many years. She was a tireless worker for the church. She was also a member of the West Licking Historical Society and was truly a walking encyclopedia of historical knowledge of facts, families and times in the West Licking County area. She served with distinction on the board of the Kirkersville Cemetery Association for many years. Rosa Lee is survived by her loving family: her daughter Sally of Washington, Illinois, grandchildren Jessica (Seth) Soja, Jeff (Kayla) Deeds, and Robert Barton; 7 great grandchildren: Emma, Josephine, twins Ethan and Issac, twins Cameron and Andrew, Isla; her sister Judy Emerson of Pataskala; several nieces and a nephew; many cousins and church family from Kirkersville U.M. Church. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister Emma Jean Emerson, husband Harold Jerome Newkirk and son Richard Dick Newkirk. The family will receive friends on Thursday, March 15, 2018 from 5-8 p.m at the funeral home, 285 East Main St. in Kirkersville. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Kirkersville United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 7, Kirkersville, Ohio 43033. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home. HOSKINSON Funeral and Cremation Service, Kirkersville, is honored to have known and loved Rosa Lee, and is grateful to be of assistance to her family at this time.