Rozella Mae Wicker

If anyone would ask Rozella Wicker what meant the most to her, family would have been at the top of her list. They brought great joy to her over the years and she loved caring for them. Rozella was always there for you if you had a problem and she was full of emotion.

With the minimum hourly rate of 25 cents, 1938 had many events that would change the world forever.  The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, later known as the March of Dimes, was founded in January; the popular comic superhero Superman made his debut when Action Comics #1 was published; the first use of seeing eye dogs occurred; oil was first discovered in Saudi Arabia; and Federal National Mortgage Association “Fannie Mae” was established. These were just a few of the events, but the biggest news of the year for William "Dewey" and Goldie May (Fulmer) Wince was the announcement of the birth of their daughter, Rozella Mae. She was born on June 23, 1938 in Pierceton, Indiana.

She and her siblings, Carl, Garold and Phyllis grew up in Pierceton and she graduated from Pierceton High School with the Class of 1956. After meeting a young Arkansas man who was working in the fields with her, Rozella and William "Bill" Wicker fell in love and on her 18th birthday on June 23, 1956 they married in North Webster. Instead of moving back to Arkansas, they moved to rural Columbia City where she spent the rest of her life.

Rozella worked at Haffner's Department Store and drove the Fort Wayne newspaper route in Columbia City for 15 years. She then worked at Ames Department Store and the Garden Gift Shop and inserted for the Post & Mail for four years before working at the Senior Center in 2002. In 2011, Rozella went to work for Viking Inc. until retiring in 2019. She was a member of Columbia City Church of Christ.

Rozella was a gifted seamstress who enjoyed sewing and making quilts. She made many outfits over the years for herself and many blankets for her grandchildren. Rozella enjoyed the outdoors and what nature brought by tending to her flowers and would stock up on freezing apple pies when their orchard was ripe and canned from her garden.

She and Bill loved eating out, especially to the Golden Corral and having ice cream. They also enjoyed traveling and visiting the Smokey Mountains, Rock City, Tennessee and going to Cherokee Indian sites along with going camping. Rozella loved taking her grandchildren to visit the Smokey Mountains with her and Bill or going to the zoo where she had yearly passes to. In her final days, she cherished time with her great-granddaughter, Maxxsyn Reign.

Rozella Mae Wicker, 82, of Columbia City, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Thursday, December 3, 2020 at her home. She is survived by her loving husband of 64 years, Bill Wicker; children, Helen (Steve Thompson) Gibson, William "Dale" (Tammy Daniels) Wicker and Vickie (Steven) Schwenn; 9 grandchildren, Melinda, Sarah, Amber, Billy, Jarret, Nicole, Jeremy, Jordan, Courtnee; 13 great-grandchildren, Blake, Izaiah, Xavior, Haley, Lance, Landon, Hadley, Dylan, TJ, Kara, Ryker, Journey, Maxxsyn; and a great-great-grandson, Lincoln.  She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Shelia S. West; brothers, Carl Wince and Garold Wince; and sister, Phyllis Knight.

Due to the current Covid Restrictions, services are private but it may be watched live on Facebook through DeMoney Grimes Live at 2 p.m. Tuesday with Pastor Jack Hierholzer officiating. Burial will take place at Nolt Cemetery. Memorial donations may be given in Rozella's memory to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in honor of her daughter. Visit www.DeMoneyGrimes.com to send Rozella's family online condolences or sign the online guest book.