Rose Holzer

• 1920 - Jackson Township, Dewey County, South Dakota. (age 3)
• 1930 - Jackson Township, Dewey County, South Dakota.
• 1940 - Ridgeland Township, Corson County, South Dakota.

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Rose (Aberle) Holzer died February 6, 2008 at Selby, South Dakota.

The life of the early homesteader was rough and no one knew it better than Rose M. Holzer. Rose was born Aug. 19, 1916, near Hague, North Dakota., to Nicholas and Anna (Schweitzer) Aberle.

Her father left his family to homestead near Glencross, South Dakota and was later joined by his family, coming by wagon train to Mobridge, South Dakota. There, they boarded the train for Trail City, South Dakota where her father met them and took them to their new home.

Rose attended the rural Aberle School near her home until her mother became ill and Rose had to leave school to care for her. When her mother died, Rose took over caring for the family of 10 brothers and a sister. She never had a chance to go to high school.

Frank Holzer was from the same area and their romance began at a barn dance. They were married on Jan. 18, 1937, in Glencross. That was back when newlyweds were given "a plow and an acre of land." They lived and farmed in the Trail City area their entire married life, moving into Trail City in 1976.

Their first two children were born at their home; later children in a hospital.

Rose had been a typical farm wife, an excellent cook who could also butcher the farm animals and fowls. Sausage making time brought a crowd to help and it became party time.

"I have tried to have her show me how she made her fantastic German potato salad," says her daughter-in-law Virginia Holzer, "but mine is never as good. She always cooked with a pinch of this or a handful of that, so her recipes were hard to follow."

Rose also loved to quilt, making beautiful quilts that were presented to each grandchild as they graduated from high school. She was also deeply religious. She was a lifetime member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Trail City and an Altar Society member. She was also active in the Mobridge Women of the Moose, was a past regent of the WOTM and loved to play bingo. It was "big entertainment" for her, her family said.

Her husband, Frank, died in 1998 and Rose continued to live in Trail City, South Dakota until she entered the Good Samaritan Center in Selby, South Dakota in September of 2004. She died at the center on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008, at the age of 91.

Surviving are her sons, Kenny (Virginia) Holzer of Mobridge, South Dakota; David Holzer of Englewood, Colorado; and Frank Jr. (Ruth) Holzer of Trail City, South Dakota; daughter, Carol Schweitzer of Aberdeen, South Dakota.

And 17 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren

Rose is also survived by brothers, Markus Aberle of Salem, Oregon; Al Aberle of Tacoma, Washington; and Leo Aberle of Glencross, South Dakota.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by a son Gerald, in 2006, seven brothers, John, Mike, Pius, George, Tony, William and Frank; and a sister, Anna.

Mass of Christian Burial for Rose was celebrated Saturday, Feb. 9, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Mobridge with Fr. Kevin Achbach as celebrant. Ruth Holzer was reader. Patty Feist and Megan and Mya Feist had the offertory.