Rose McEvoy Mullis

ROSE MCEVOY MULLIS

Central City

Rose Mary (Petrick) McEvoy Mullis, a resident of Willow Gardens in Marion, formerly of Central City, passed away at Willow Gardens on Thursday, March 17, 2016. A Scripture service will be 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 20, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Central City, with the family greeting friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 21, at St. Stephen Catholic Church, Central City. Burial will be at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Prairieburg.

Rose was born June 2, 1920, the daughter of Joseph and Anna (Lawrence) Petrick Sr., near Prairieburg. She attended school in a one-room country school. She learned to can, cook, bake and sew at an early age.

She was married to Gerald McEvoy for over 40 years, farming side by side on their farm northwest of Prairieburg. They moved to Central City in 1979. This marriage was blessed with one daughter, JoAnn. Gerald died Dec. 24, 1983. Several years later Rose met George Mullis at Senior Dining in Central City. They were married Oct. 28, 1989. George died Dec. 30, 2012.

Rose earned many ribbons at fairs for her sewing talent. She was very well known for her delicious kolaches. Family and friends received trays of kolaches on many occasions, especially birthdays and Christmas. She knew everyone's favorite. When you stopped to visit, you were always offered a cup of coffee and a kolache or whatever tasty treat she had made.

Rose loved dancing, playing pinochle and 500, the Cubs and Hawkeyes and caring for her flowers. She was a member of St. Stephen Catholic Church.

Her greatest love was her family, especially her granddaughters and great-grandchildren.

She was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and a friend to all.

She will be deeply missed by family and many friends.

Survivors include her daughter, JoAnn (Norman) Mathis of Marion; granddaughters, Lisa (Rob) Sherwood of Arlington Heights, Ill., and Lori (Alan) Hilgerson of West Des Moines; great-grandchildren, Nickolas and Emma Sherwood and Alexander and Paige Hilgerson; sisters-in-law, Anna May Petrick, Leonore Petrick and Donna Petrick; and many nieces and nephews. Also surviving are stepsons, Leon (Betty) Mullis of La Porte City, Lester "Butch" (Jo) Mullis of Prineville, Ore., and Roger (Rita) Mullis of Manchester; stepdaughters, Nancy Heaverlo (Earl Iben) of Cedar Rapids, Dorothy (Loras) Steffen of Drakesville, Ruth (Kenneth) Myers of New Auburn, Wis., and Carla (Jeff) Peterson of Chattanooga, Tenn.; many stepgrandchildren; stepgreat-grandchildren; and stepgreat-great-grandchildren.

Rose was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband, Gerald McEvoy; her second husband, George Mullis; her brothers, Wesley, Joseph and Thomas Petrick; sisters, Lillian Shover and Josephine Smith; half brother, Clarence Ruley; half sister, Agnes Amos; brothers-in-law, LeRoy Smith, Rollie Shover and Wesley Amos; and sister-in-law, Elizabeth Ruley.

A very heartfelt thank-you to UnityPoint Hospice and to all the staff and residents at Willow Gardens for their care and love.

Please share a memory of Rose at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.