Rosemary Arlene McCown Gibbs

Our loving mother Rosemary Arlene Gibbs passed away on June 15, 2022. She was born April 25, 1933, in Lincoln, Nebraska to Earl and Myrna (Dunham) McCown. She was born prematurely and weighed just over 2 pounds at birth. Her father was an electrician, and he built baby Rosemary an incubator made of a cigar box and light bulbs. Her small size throughout her childhood earned her the nickname “half-pint” from her doting father. Throughout her life, Rosemary loved to say that mighty things came in small packages. She lived up to that sentiment.

Growing up with older siblings Elton (Sparky) and Beverley, and younger brother Gaylord (Corky), Rosemary loved picking flowers, playing piano and catching fireflies. The family suffered the loss of twin girls after Rosemary was born. The loss of her beloved father when Rosemary was 17 also devastated the family, and she learned strength, survival, and tenacity from her mother during this time.

Rosemary attended nearby Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, then transferred to Southwestern Junior College in Keene, Texas her sophomore year. She received her Associates Degree in Nursing and moved to Denver, Colorado to attend Porter Hospital’s School of Nursing Program. There she met a soldier named Marvin Gibbs, and they were married later that year in 1954.

Marvin and Rosemary made their first home in her hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska. Together they raised their three children: Rhonda, Mearl and Marlys. In 1962, the family moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and then to Brighton, Colorado in 1971. They bought their final home in Northglenn, Colorado in 1974. Rosemary was a loving mother, raising her children with exciting campouts, hikes in the mountains, and many picnics. Rosemary was very proud of her children (and eventually grandchildren and great-grandchildren) and every accomplishment they achieved. She had unconditional love for every member of her family.

Rosemary was a lifelong member of the Seventh-day Adventist church and looked forward to Christ’s second coming. She enjoyed crossword puzzles, collecting dolls and salt-and-pepper shakers from her many travels.

Marvin required special care around-the-clock in his later years, which Rosemary lovingly provided until his death in 2010. In Rosemary’s later years, she battled dementia and Alzheimer’s disease following a stroke, as well as ulcers and several rounds of pneumonia. Her family moved her to Bountiful, Utah her last year of life to receive memory care and be close to her son and his family. She suffered a fall and broken hip 9 days before she passed. She was surrounded by her family in her last days.

She is survived by her children: Rhonda Myers, Mearl (Susan) Gibbs, Marlys (Steve) Seek; grandchildren: Michael, Lori (Eddie), Ryan (Brittany), Sarah (Joe), Debbie (Nick) and Megan; great-grandchildren: Charlie, Eddie, Tyler, Emily, Zachary, Haylee, Ryleigh and Brynlee; sister: Beverley; and brother: Corky.

She was preceded in death by her twin sisters; Loraine and Lorene; parents: Earl and Myrna; stepfather: Jake; brother: Sparky; beloved husband: Marvin; and son-in-law: Ralph.

Funeral service will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday, June 25, 2022, at Chapel Haven SDA Church, 9911 Huron St. Northglenn, Colorado, 80260. Burial to follow service at Olinger Highland Cemetery.