E. Rosemary Witt Broderius, 81
E. Rosemary Witt Broderius, 81, of Griswold, passed away on Feb. 27, 2011, at her home in Griswold.
Eleanor Rosemary Leslie was born on Sept. 15, 1929, at Avoca, the daughter of Clyde Edward and Ruby M. Startzer Leslie. Her mother died when Rosemary was three years old and her father remarried and the family moved to rural Atlantic where she attended rural school in Pymosa Township and graduated from Atlantic High School in 1946. Rosemary started her teaching career the following year in the Cass County Rural Schools. Rosemary’s teaching career continued - teaching first in the Elliott Comm. Schools seven years from 1955-1962, then in the Griswold Comm. Schools in the Jr. High center in Elliott for four years from 1962-1966 and finally in the Carson-Macedonia Comm. Schools for 24 years from 1966-1990 when she retired. After retirement she then substituted and Directed Speech at Griswold High School until 1998. During Rosemary’s teaching career, she received her BSE from Drake University in Des Moines in 1969 and did post graduate work at the University of Nebraska Omaha and at Drake University.
On Dec. 29, 1947, she married Robert Eugene Witt at Omaha, Neb., and to this union one son Richard was born. Bob died on Feb. 13, 1984. On June 25, 2000, Rosemary married Robert Kenneth Broderius Sr. at Griswold and he died Aug. 18, 2006.
Rosemary was a member of the Griswold United Methodist Church - active in the Evening Circle and the UMW, a 50 year member of the Griswold Rebekah Lodge #480 and is a Past Noble Grand, life member of the National Education Assoc. and the Iowa State Education Assoc., member of Delta Kappa Gamma International Society where she has held various chapter and state offices and the Tuesday Music Club. She also had served on the Griswold Library Board, Griswold Theater Board and the Cass County Mental Health Board for several years. Rosemary was a former member of the Griswold Progressive Club.
Preceding Rosemary in death were her parents, her stepmothers Hazel and Florence and her husbands.
Survivors include her son Richard Witt and his wife Sylvia of Omaha, her grandchildren and great grand daughter – Paul Jedruski and his wife Melissa and their daughter Eva, Peter Jedruski, and Jennifer Witt Tritz and her husband Rick all of Omaha, her stepchildren Donna (Dewey) Bell of Kodiak, Ark., Daniel (Linda) Broderius of Lancaster, Calif., and Darena (Brian) Carney of Ft. Worth, Texas, her five step grandchildren and two step great-grandchildren. Also surviving is her brother Gene Leslie and his wife Sue of Atlantic as well as nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held at the Griswold United Methodist Church on March 5, 2011. Burial was in the Pleasant Township Cemetery.
Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold is assisting the family with the arrangements.