Rose Klemm

Rose Marie Klemm, 64, considered by many to be North Platte’s “number one volunteer,” died unexpectedly Dec. 4, 1998 after an apparent heart attack at her home, 2310 Cedarberry Lane.
 

She was the guiding spirit in the establishment and early success of the North Platte Clean City Committee, a perpetual fund-raiser for good causes, a loving wife, mother and generous caregiver to all whose lives she touched.

Rose Marie Plevak was born Nov. 16, 1934 in Carrolville, Wisc. She grew up in south Milwaukee, attended St. Mary’s Academy there and graduated from high school in 1952.

She attended Marquette University and completed a bachelor of science degree at the University of Alabama where she was a member of Delta Gamma Sorority and a masters of education degree at the University of Wisconsin. She also did graduate study at the University of Minnesota.

She taught fifth and sixth grades in the Minnetonka, Minn. school system and was a reading specialist. She also taught at Whitewater, Wisc. State Teachers College, which later became the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. Later, she was on the faculty at McCook Junior College.

She was married August 12, 1961 to Robert Klemm at St. Adalbert’s Church in South Milwaukee.

While in Minnesota, Mrs. Klemm was chairman of the Legislative Committee for the Minnesota Reading Council. She also was secretary of the Twin Cities Reading Council.

The Klemms lived in Minnesota and McCook before moving to North Platte in 1972. She worked with her husband in the operation of the family business, Arrowhead Distributing Co.

She was instrumental in starting the Coat Closet, a project that provides free coats, blankets and jeans to the needy, as part of the Apostolic Committee at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. She also taught religious education at Holy Spirit. She helped with the food pantry and worked regularly at the Salvation Army soup suppers. She had just started work on the fund-raising team for the new McDaid Elementary School.

She had been on the Parents Advisory Board at Adams Middle School and was active in the North Platte High School Booster Club.

She was given the Friend of Education Award by the North Platte Education Association in 1987.

She was 1988-89 chairman of the board of the North Platte Area Chamber of Commerce, the first woman to hold that position. She was on Chamber committees that helped initiate the Clean City Committee, the Crime Stoppers program, and Leadership Lincoln County. She had been a member of North Platte Hostesses since 1988.

From 1985-1992 she was a member of the Great Plains Regional Medical Center governing board. She was currently a member of the board of the Great Plains Health Care Foundation and chair of its events committee. She had planned the menu and helped with decorations for the foundation’s “It Takes A Village” benefit dinner and dance held Friday night.

She was a charter member of the Great Plains Regional Medical Center Auxiliary. As chairman of the auxiliary’s Crafts Committee, she personally provided transportation for several elderly women who otherwise would not have been able to attend the crafts sessions.

She was among a group instrumental in bringing the Miss Nebraska Scholarship Pageant to North Platte, served on the board, and since 1992 had judged community service projects of the contestants.

She had just begun a second four-year term on the Board of Counselors for the University of Nebraska Medical Center. As a Friendship Circle volunteer for the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben she had been instrumental in achieving leadership recognition for several area individuals and organizations. She was awarded The First Lady of the Year award by the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority.

She had also recently been named to the Public Radio Nebraska Foundation board of directors.

Rose became active in the Clean City Committee shortly after it was organized in 1978 and became its chairman, shepherding it through early years that saw it winning many state and national first place awards from Keep Nebraska Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful.

She was recognized for volunteer service with the Woman of Achievement award by the Community Improvement Committee of the North Platte Area Chamber of Commerce in 1985. She said then that in spite of the long list of her volunteer activities, her first priority always had been her family: “Everything I did in the beginning was children, husband, or business-oriented, and the first priority was the children.”

Survivors include her husband, Bob; two daughters, Sarah (Dan) Spencer of Denver and Betsy (Steve) Burns also of Denver; a son, Barrett (Brenda) of North Platte; and by her mother, Josie Plevak of Centennial Park, North Platte. She is also survived by a sister, Delores Farley of Springfield, Ill., and a brother, Joseph Plevak of Aurora, Ill.

She was preceded in death by her father, Joe Plevak.

Memorials may be made to the McDaid Project 2000 or to GPRMC.

Rosary will be at 7 p.m. Sunday at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Monday at the church with the Rev. Art Faesser as celebrant. Burial will be in Floral Lawns Memorial Gardens.

Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. today and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Carpenter Memorial Chapel.