09/08/2025
Denise “Dee” Anne Rose
February 21, 1943 – September 6, 2025
Our beloved mother, Denise “Dee” Anne Rose, born Denise Anne Allee, passed away peacefully on September 6, 2025, surrounded by family and love, and returned home to the arms of Jesus after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s. She was 82 years old.
Mom was born on February 21, 1943, in Duluth, Minnesota, and lived a full and vibrant life marked by hard work, creativity, laughter, and love for her family. She attended Fortuna Union High School in Fortuna, California, and later studied accountancy at Salem College of Business in Salem, Oregon.
Over the years, Mom worked in many roles—from bartending and factory work to following her entrepreneurial spirit as the owner of Hoagies Café in Wendell, Idaho, and later, Blue Rose Karaoke in Pentwater, Michigan.
Her life took her all over the country—living in California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, and Oregon (which she always considered to be her true home, no matter where she lived). Everywhere she went, she made friends easily and left a lasting impression on all who knew her.
Music was the heartbeat of Mom’s life. She played guitar and sang with a voice that carried her love of country, including country gospel, and Irish songs. She rocked many a grandbaby to sleep as she crooned “Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That's An Irish Lullaby)” and “You Are My Sunshine” to them. Mom’s favorite music artists included Lacy J. Dalton and Daniel O’Donnell – and she loved singing karaoke and was always ready to fill a room with music and laughter.
Mom had a deep love for animals—especially horses (Arabians always claimed first place in her heart, with any other horse breed taking a distant second). She also loved dogs of every shape, size, and color. She could never pass by a dog without stopping to give it love and affection. She delighted in feeding the birds in her yard, and making porch friends with her neighborhood chipmunks, who learned to trust her enough to eat from her hand and sometimes even climbed onto her lap for treats.
Her home and porch were always overflowing with the flowers and plants that she tended with loving care. She also enjoyed crocheting, and was an enthusiastic family historian, with special pride in her Irish roots through her mother’s side of the family. Her love of anything with peanut butter was legendary, and she harbored lifelong crushes on her favorite leading men – particularly Sam Elliott, John Wayne, Steve McQueen, Robert Redford, and Tom Selleck.
Mom is survived by her beloved children, both by blood and by heart:
• Kevin Harvey | Baker City, Oregon
• Sherrie Kegeler | Adrian, Michigan
• Dawn (Rocky) Rose | Shirley, Indiana
• Terrie (Brian) Swisher | Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Larry Marsh | Salem, Oregon
• Lisa (John) Kline | Melrose, Iowa
• Gerrie (Brian) Higgins | Salem, Oregon
• Angie Marsh | Scottville, Michigan
• John (Nikki) Marsh | Full-time World Travelers (35+ countries & counting!)
She is lovingly remembered by her countless grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren (we stopped tallying them up a long time ago!), along with her daughters- and sons-in-law, and other parents to many of those grandchildren: Christine Harvey, Michael Ruff, Loren Digby, Christopher Vaughn, David Outcalt, and Christina Perez-Rafter; her brother Richard (Eliza) Devlin and sister Muriel (Bob) King; her sister-in-law Anna (Jack) Allee; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family and friends whose lives she touched during her lifetime.
Mom was preceded in death by her children Michael Wing and William “Billy” Wing, her grandchildren Jeremy Harvey, William Wing, and Jesse “J.C.” Hale; her beloved mother, Cecilia (Maloney) Allee and her father, Dallas Allee; her siblings Luverne Allee, Carol (Allee) Sutherland, Daniel “Dan” Allee, Clarice “Peggy” Allee, Dianne (Allee) Thompson, and Dallas “Jack” Allee; her daughters-in-law Jadwiga Kloc and Bonnie Harvey, and her son-in-law Wayde Perry (who was her beloved partner in crime when it came to practical jokes), along with the fathers of her children: Elvin “Butch” Harvey, Rodger Wing, Roy Rose, and Darrell Marsh.
We wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the staff at The Waters of Middletown Skilled Nursing Facility and Heart to Heart Hospice for the compassionate care, comfort, and dignity that they provided to Mom during the last months of her life.
In honor of Mom’s memory, we ask that donations be made to support Alzheimer’s research, or to your local animal rescue organization of choice. You can also honor Mom by adopting a pet in need and giving them a “furever home.”
Mom’s initial memorial service will be held at 3:00 PM on Saturday, September 20, at Shirley Friends Church, 101 Main Street, Shirley, IN 47384. A second service will take place in Baker City, Oregon, in 2026, where Mom’s ashes will be laid to rest in the state that she always considered to be home.
Condolences may be sent to The Family of Dee Rose, c/o Dawn Rose, P.O. Box 345, Shirley, IN 47384.
We take comfort in knowing that Mom is now at peace in the arms of Jesus and reunited with the loved ones who have gone before her.
The staff of Liming Family Funeral Home are honored to serve the family of Denise Anne Blaisdell-Rose. To sign the online guest book or send personal condolences, please visit: https://www.limingfamilyfuneralhome.com