Rosa Lee Calahan, 84

Rosa Lee Calahan, the daughter of Edgar and Edna (Posvar) Deterding, was born on May 16, 1936 in a farm house on the Wade place on the Thayer County-Nuckolls County Line near Oak, Nebraska. She passed away on September 12, 2020 at her home in Carleton, Nebraska at the age of 84 years, 3 months, 30 days.
Rosa was baptized at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Ruskin and confirmed at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Deshler. She joined Zion Lutheran Church in Carleton in 1962. She attended Deshler Parochial and Public School graduating in 1954, and attended Fairbury Junior College receiving her teaching certificate. She worked at the Broom Factory when she was 16, taught at a country school near Deshler, and worked at the Farmers Elevator in Carleton, and Kellwood in Fairbury.
Growing up her nickname was "Stinky" because of the Evening in Paris perfume she wore. Her favorite meal was fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy. She liked John Wayne movies, and American Bandstand. Her classmates nicknamed her "Stilts" because she was so short. In school she liked Reading, English literature and History, but did not like Algebra; She played the French horn in band, volleyball in High School, and softball in grade school. She enjoyed girl scouts, and especially, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the campfires. She loved going to her grandparents' home, and spending time with them, as family was important. Her favorite pets were Sandy her dog and Daisy the cow. Her mother taught her to embroider, sew, knit and bake which became her lifelong hobbies.
She was united in marriage to Don Calahan on November 9, 1957 at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Deshler, Nebraska. This union was blessed with four children.
She served as past president of Carleton Women's Club and Zion Women's Group, Sunday School Superintendent, Sunday School teacher and volunteered at Blue Valley Homes. Rosa loved to sew and spent many hours making quilts for Lutheran World Relief and sewing personally for her family.
She was preceded in death by her parents Edgar and Edna; brother Don Deterding; sister Arlene Higer; son Scott; daughter Lisa Parkhurst; grandsons Lane Ough and Trinity Parkhurst; brother-in-law Stan Elledge; and sister-in-law Eva Deterding.
Survivors include her husband Don; daughter Vicki (Robert) Williams of Superior; daughter-in-law Nancy Calahan of Chandler, Arizona; son Bruce (Jean) Calahan of Lincoln; 12 grandchildren: Stephanie (Mark) Thayer, Daniel (and wife, Rebecca Matulka) Williams, Joel (Sarah) Calahan, Nathaniel (Theresa) Calahan, Amy (Jacob) Rust, Melissa (fiancé Anton) Calahan, Katie (Scott) Bennett, John (Autumn) Calahan, Rebecca and Emilee Calahan; 11 great grandchildren: Wyatt (fiancé Nicole) Thayer, Mackinley Thayer, Ezra Calahan, August Calahan, Silas Calahan, Henry Rowland, Nathaniel Calahan, Maxwell Rust, Ryan Gonzalez, Craig Bennett and Zachary Bennett; siblings Kay Elledge of Superior, Jean (Archie) Nyen of Gladstone, Missouri, Owen Deterding of York and Roy (Sandra) Deterding of Burlson, Texas; sister-in-law Connie Deterding of Lincoln; nieces, nephews, other relatives and a host of friends.
Memorial services will be held 2:00 pm Saturday, September 19, 2020 at Zion Lutheran Church, Carleton, Nebraska.
Private family inurnment will be in Carleton City Cemetery, Carleton, Nebraska.
Memorials may be given to Zion Lutheran Church.
Megrue-Price Funeral Home, 750 N Commercial, Superior, Nebraska, is in charge of arrangements.

THOSE ATTENDING THE SERVICE ARE ASKED TO WEAR A FACE MASK AND PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING.

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