Huntingburg matriarch Rosie Stetter remembered for church and family

Rosie R. Stetter, 88, a lifelong presence in Huntingburg’s civic and church life, died Jan. 10 at Deaconess Memorial Hospital surrounded by family. Her passing closed a life marked by steady community service, craftwork for St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and long ties to local veterans and fraternal organizations.

Born March 8, 1937, in St. Henry to Leo and Clara (Hohl) Jochem, Stetter graduated from Holland High School with the class of 1956. She worked at Dubois Wood for much of her life and retired from that position, remaining an active parishioner of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Huntingburg.

Stetter was a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Auxiliary #3335 and the V.F.W. Auxiliary Post #2366, organizations that often rely on volunteers for events, fundraising and community outreach in Dubois County. She was known locally for her embroidery work for the church and for her love of reading. Family meant everything to her; she frequently spoke of hoping to watch her great-grandchildren grow up.

Funeral rites were held Tuesday, Jan. 13, with a funeral Mass of Christian Burial celebrated by Rev. Homero Rodriguez at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Burial followed at St. Mary’s Cemetery. Friends were received for visitation at Nass & Son Funeral Home in Huntingburg from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, with a parish rosary prayed at 11:15 a.m. prior to processing to the church.

Stetter was preceded in death by her parents; sisters Coletta Caine and Dorothy Hollander; and brothers Jerome and Lee Ray Jochem. She is survived by her son Brad (Micki) Stetter and daughter Beth (Kevin) Meyer of Huntingburg; six grandchildren — Zach (Lanae), Chase and Noah Stetter, Morgan (Kyle) Lowtharp, Chad and Karli Meyer — and five great-grandchildren Hadley and Haven Stetter, Carter and Camryn Lowtharp, and Cayde Mundy. She also leaves a sister-in-law, Mary Alice Jochem.

For many in Huntingburg, Stetter’s absence will be felt in the pews, at auxiliary meetings and at community functions where volunteers sew, organize and keep traditions alive. Her contributions to St. Mary’s and local auxiliaries exemplify the unpaid civic labor that sustains small-town institutions. Condolences may be shared online at nassandson.com.

As neighbors and organizations reflect on her life, the community will look to sustain the volunteer traditions she embodied and to support the family she leaves behind.