Rosemary I. Grosskreutz

Rosemary I. (Brown) Grosskreutz, age 66 of La Crosse, WI, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center.

She was born March 5, 1960, in La Crosse, Wl, the daughter of Joe and Irene Brown.

She married Lee Grosskreutz on Feb. 13, 1988, and they just recently celebrated 38 years of marriage. She was the adoring mother of Molly, her angel Scott, and Joe.

Rose loved her family and friends ferociously and was everyone's ultimate cheerleader. She found every excuse to celebrate even the most commonplace events and make every occasion feel extra special. She kept the Dollar Store in business by her constant, all-occasion card sending and epic gifting.

She was an avid thrift shopper on a never-ending quest to find treasures to delight her grandsons, grand-nieces, and nephews.

Rose found lifelong joy in tending to the many flowerbeds in her yard and took great pride in making the perfect lines with her lawnmower.

She loved the thrill of a good deal, broasted chicken, Friday fish fry, and the smell of gasoline. She was a passionate Badger, Brewer, Packer, and local sports fan who considered herself an honorary manager on all teams.

The more she teased you, the more she loved you.

Rose provided outstanding customer service to countless ShopKo lawn & garden and pharmacy customers for nearly four decades, then bonded with the college community at Viterbo University before retiring in 2020 to prepare for the arrival of her first grandson, Otto.

She is utterly irreplaceable, and while her earthbound friends and family are devastated by her loss, they are finding solace in the fact that she is now reunited with her infant son Scott, her parents Joe and Irene, mother-in-law Mildred, father-in-law Leo, brothers-in-law Keith Ekiss and Glen Grosskreutz, and her beloved dog companions Jackson, Hunter, and Bree.

She is survived by her husband, Lee; children, Molly (Brian) Meister and Joe; grandsons, Otto (5) and Rory (3); sister, Karen Ekiss; brothers, Joe (Linda) Brown, Michael (Patti) Brown and Dan (Karen) Brown; nieces and nephews Kyle, Kevin, Kris, Adam, Lance, Jeff, Matt, Mark, Andy, Spencer, Jackie, Kiana, Alan and Alissa; and sisters-in-law Lynne Bruley and Annelle Grosskreutz.

A celebration of her life will be held from 3:30-7 p.m., Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at The Nature Place, 789 Myrick Park Dr, La Crosse, WI 54601. A short program will start at around 4:30 p.m. Food will be provided.

Rose's family kindly requests monetary donations in lieu of flowers, to be used for the planting of a local memorial tree and a brick in La Crosse's International Gardens at Riverside Park.