A Memorial Visitation for Rose Swenson, age 88, of Atkinson, NE, will be Monday, November 9, 2020 from 4:30 to 7:00 PM at Biglin’s Mortuary in O’Neill, NE. Inurnment will be held at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Atkinson, NE. Rose passed away peacefully with family by her side on Friday, November 6, 2020 at her home, not far from her birthplace in rural Atkinson, Nebraska. Memorials may be made to Nebraska Public Television. Arrangements are by Biglin’s Mortuary of O’Neill. Rose Mildred Osborne was born to Floyd and Helen (Malloy) Osborne on September 11, 1932 in Atkinson, Nebraska. Rose was the second of five children: Floyd Osborne, Jr. of Dewey, Arizona; James Osborne of Laurel, Nebraska; Mary (Osborne) Corkle of O’Neill, Nebraska; and Thomas Osborne of Atkinson, Nebraska. Rose’s extended family was born and raised in the Atkinson area. She was very close with her parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins throughout her life. Family was of the utmost importance to her. Rose graduated from Atkinson High School in 1950, and taught in a country school for a year before marrying LeRoy Swenson, who had come from Winthrop, Minnesota to work at the Lee Ranch. Shortly after marriage, during her husband’s service in Korea, she lived in Arlington, Virginia where she worked as a secretary for the dining service at the Pentagon, and in Seattle, Washington where she worked as a telephone operator. Following LeRoy’s military service, the couple returned to Nebraska to live in Omaha. She worked at Mutual of Omaha before starting a family with LeRoy. They had four children: Rose, Susan, Roy, and Roger. The family moved to Columbus, Nebraska in 1957. While in Columbus, Rose was involved in raising her children. She was a Girl Scout leader and volunteered at her children’s school. Rose was a great cook and an excellent baker; her cinnamon rolls and apple pies were legendary at family holidays and gatherings. Rose returned to work as a cashier behind the “Parimutuel Betting Windows“ at the Columbus Annual Horse Races. She continued working at the Ak-Sar-Ben Racetrack in Omaha following the family’s return in 1969. Rose excelled at math and received recognition as the first woman promoted to work at the large payout windows at the races. In 1971, the family moved to Norfolk, Nebraska where Rose began working for the Internal Revenue Service. She enjoyed her career not only because the work was interesting, but also for the opportunity to travel, learn, and create life-long friendships with colleagues. Rose worked for the IRS for 26 years, until her retirement in 2002. Rose was the primary caregiver for her beloved mother, Helen, for the last years of Helen’s life. During this time, Rose and LeRoy returned to the family farm in Atkinson, Nebraska where they built their retirement home. Rose was very interested in interior design and architecture and loved designing and decorating their “dream home”. Family heritage and the land that the Malloy family had homesteaded in the 1880s was always a subject of much discussion. Rose’s family was of Irish ancestry and she had a great interest in Ireland and Irish traditions that she passed down to her family. Fulfilling a lifelong wish, Rose and LeRoy traveled to Ireland where they enjoyed the opportunity to connect first-hand with the culture and customs. She also traveled back to Butte, Montana to research her ancestry in the place her great-grandparents (O’Brien) had settled in the 1870s. Throughout her life, Rose’s love for her family was constant. She and her brothers and sister were fast friends that spent many hours visiting and laughing together. This connection extended to her great Aunts and Uncles, and numerous cousins. Rose’s friends were friends for life. That bond continued to her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and their children. One family tradition that Rose took great pleasure in was a high school graduation trip or event with each of her grandchildren. Each trip was different, either to California, the Black Hills, or to the Nebraska State Capitol. The trips were an opportunity to develop a strong relationship with the grandmother they all loved. The natural environment that surrounded her every day gave her endless pleasure. Greeting the day each morning, star gazing, growing flowers, and watching all of the wildlife was a great source of joy in her last years. She spent many hours outside walking the prairie with her loyal beagle. Rose was also an amateur sky-watcher. Dark summer nights were spent outside observing the constellations and planets. This interest included a trip to Grand Island to experience the total solar eclipse in 2017. Rose is survived by her four children and nine grandchildren: Rose (Ardell) Johnson and their three children Benjamin, Elizabeth, and Wyatt of San Jose, California; Susan (Alan) Brookes and their two daughters Katherine (John) Akridge and Josephine of Oakland, California; Roy (Deb) Swenson and their two sons Gus (Cassandra) and Leo of Springfield, Nebraska; and Roger (Kris) Swenson and their two children Alex and Erika of Blair, Nebraska; In-laws Sandy Osborne of Atkinson, Nebraska; Ruth Osborne of Dewey, Arizona; Janet Russell of Shoreline, Washington; Maridee (Rick) Weber of Redding, California; and Sheila Swenson. Rose is preceded in death by her parents, Helen (Malloy) and Floyd Osborne; her four siblings: Floyd Osborne, James Osborne, Mary (Osborne) Corkle, and Thomas Osborne; her husband, LeRoy Swenson; and her In-laws: Barb Osborne, Ron Swenson, Jerry Russell, Judy Swenson, and Carolyn Swenson.