Rose Marie Bronk

Rose Marie Bronk, aged 92 years old, died on December 9, 2020 in Carmichael, California. She was born to August and Florence Jereczek on September 1, 1928 in Winona, Minnesota and graduated from Arcadia High School in 1946.  After graduating, she worked as a bookkeeper in Winona, Minnesota.  While volunteering as a hostess for the United Service Organization (USO), she met Paul Bronk, who she later married on September 5, 1953 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pine Creek, Wisconsin.      

Rose Marie and Paul traveled to Alabama where he was initially stationed.  There, their first child, Beverly was born.  While Paul was stationed in Labrador, Canada, Rose Marie gave birth to their second daughter Ruth in Winona, Minnesota.  The next year, in 1956, they moved to Fair Oaks, California, where they helped build a new Catholic parish and created numerous life-long friendships.  Here, they had seven more children—Teresa, Donald, Ronald, Carol, Joseph, Margaret, and George. 

In 1965 Paul received transfer orders to serve at the Mildenhall Air Force Base in England.  Rose Marie later joined him with the children in February, 1966.  In England, they formed many new friendships and gave birth to their last child Elizabeth.  They returned to Fair Oaks to their family home in August, 1969. 

Rose Marie was an active church member, parent, and citizen.  She participated in many ministries at St. Mel’s Catholic Church, including the rosary and prayer chain ministries, the Altar Society, the religious article booth, the annual Christmas auction and craft fair committee, and the women’s funeral ministry.  She also served as a church eucharistic minister and on the church council.  As a parent, Rose Marie participated in the St. Mel’s PTA, the hot lunch program, and on the school board for Mercy High School.  As a community member, she volunteered for the pregnancy hotline, served several times as a juror, and worked numerous times as an election staff worker. 

Growing up in rural Wisconsin taught Rose Marie how to live frugally.  To help feed her large family, she canned great quantities of fruits and pickles throughout the years using fruit from the trees and vegetables from their large garden on their property. 

As her children left the nest, Rose Marie worked as a counter clerk and assistant manager at See’s Candies.  She traveled with her husband, who worked as a building contractor for See’s, to open new stores in California, Arizona, and Hawaii.  Her favorite chocolates were the ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­soft center varieties, and her children often spoiled her with boxes of See’s chocolates on her birthday.

One of Rose Marie’s legacies is her love of flowers.  Her yard was emblazoned in an abundance of blossoms throughout the seasons such as yellow daffodils in spring, hydrangeas and roses in summer, chrysanthemums in autumn, and camelias in winter.  She loved to decorate her home with fresh bouquets, and her husband and children often bought her flowers to see her smile.  Red roses were her eternal favorite.  

Rose Marie is survived by her children Beverly Martin and husband Daniel, Ruth Boling and husband Michael, Teresa Perko and husband Robert, Donald Bronk, Ronald Bronk and wife Dena, Carol Bronk, Joseph Bronk, Margaret Stanton and husband William, George Bronk, Elizabeth Walsh and husband Timothy, 22 grandchildren, and many, many great-grandchildren.  She is also survived by her sisters Dorothy Herber and Mary Anne Goree and her brother James Jereczek.  She is preceded in death by her parents August and Florence Jereczek, husband Paul Bronk, and sister Donna Boberg. 

A memorial Mass to celebrate Rose Marie's life will be held at 10:00AM, on  August 20, 2021 at St. Mel Catholic Church, 4745 Pennsylvania Ave, Fair Oaks, CA 95628. To RSVP for the reception following the memorial mass, please email RoseMarieBronkMemorial@gmail.com. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mel Catholic Church 4745 Pennsylvania Ave, Fair Oaks, CA 95628.

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