Rosemary Beatrice Smith Royer age 86, a resident of Grace Village, Winona Lake, went to be with the Savior she loved and served throughout her life. As she quietly passed from the temporary to the permanent she was surrounded by her loving husband and five of seven children, Sunday, September 10th.
Rosemary was born April 7, 1931, in Perkins County, South Dakota. She was the seventh child of 13 children born to C.M. and Beatrice Gooding Smith. Rosemary graduated from Monument City High School, in 1948, and attended Manchester College. As a young wife and mother, she was challenged to serve overseas at a meeting held at the Billy Sunday Tabernacle in Winona Lake.
Rosemary raised her seven children in Brazil, South America, where she faithfully served her Lord with New Tribes Mission for 43 years. Her many roles over the years included resourceful and adaptable homemaker, homeschooling mother, remote tribal missionary, mission bookkeeper and computer programmer. She was deeply loved by her fellow missionaries, their children, and Brazilian friends and neighbors.
She was preceded in death by her father and mother, her sisters, Evelyn Shafter, Ida May Grossman, Dorothy Smith, Betty Smith, and brothers, Howard Smith and Arthur Smith.
She is survived by her husband Melvin Royer, her sisters, Celia Shankster and Harriet Askew, and her brothers, Gordon Smith, Curtis Smith, Paul Smith and Edgar Smith. She is also survived by her daughters, Betty (Tim) Wyma, Priscilla (Larry) Case, Jean (Bill) Wiederhoeft, Faith (Phil) Schlatter, and Martha (Terry) Haines, and sons, Dan (Becky) Royer, and Ben (Karen) Royer. Twenty-five grandkids and 40 great-grandkids.
Visitation 4-7 pm on Thursday, September 14, 2017 at McKee Mortuary, 1401 St. Rd. 114 West, North Manchester, IN . Funeral services will be Friday at 10:00 a.m. at Manchester Bible Church, 11721 N. 300 E. , North Manchester, IN with calling one hour prior to services. Burial will be at Memorial Lawns Cemetery, 1100 Manchester Ave, Wabash, Indiana 46992.
In lieu of flowers, we will be accepting memorials for the Bolivia Field Fund – Ayore Bible Printing Fund. Write a check to Ethnos 360 and in the memo line write Bolivia Field Fund – Ayore Bible Printing Fund. Send to 312 W First St, Sanford, FL 32771.