Rosa Beatriz Jimpson, 94, of Kirkwood, Missouri, was called by the Lord into His eternal care on December 11, 2019. As she always believed in the divine purpose for her life, she would like to let you know that her work here is done. She was ready and wanting to start the final chapter of her spiritual journey. She has now reached the bright sunshine of enlightenment, with the added bonus of a reunion with dear family and friends, some of which she has not seen in decades. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7.

The daughter of Alechahin and Maria Amparo (Huerta) Pulissin, Rosa was born on June 14, 1925 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. From a young age, she was deeply committed to her Catholic roots and professed her faith in Jesus feeling a call to sisterhood. Though life would take her in a different direction, that spiritual connection grew deeper and stronger throughout her lifetime. On October 4, 1945, she was united in marriage in Buenos Aires to Isidro Alcides Nilsson till his death on April 22, 1950. She later married Thomas Guillermo Ole Jimpson, also of Buenos Aires on November 21, 1951. From these unions, three children were blessed: Ada Cristina, Isidro Gustavo, and Beatriz Elena. While dedicating herself to raising her children, Rosa was also a part of the working class in a country that had been experiencing serious political unrest with the emergence of Peronism (the years of 1945 to 1955). She was sympathetic to the political action against social injustice in the face of an oppressive authoritarian society. The working class, symbolic of the collective popular mass of the discarded and the humiliated, found their vindication with Peronism. And so Rosa saw a theological-political reflection of liberation, uniting the struggle for justice and preservation of the human rights of the poor and suffering; a reflection of her natural inclination towards divinity. And so, to some degree, she sought redemption throughout her life by performing just works as she was able. Disillusioned by the sufferings of the Peronist people after the fall of their leader in 1955, and pushed by the economic hardship of her own, and struggles in her personal life, Rosa started looking for other horizons. Although most in her situation would have succumbed to the circumstances of the moment, she emerged fighting against difficulties facing her.

Rosa and her three children left Argentina headed for the “Land of Milk and Honey” looking for a piece of the American Dream, landing on USA soil on September 15, 1957. The family settled in Indiana and Rosa soon found that the easy life with plenty of food and money she had hoped for was only a dream. Instead, she and her children faced isolation due to a lack of knowledge of the English language and found themselves destitute. Living near Steel Mills complicated her life as she developed and suffered from acute asthma. She was lonesome for her homeland and its customs. On September 19, 1959, Rosa and Thomas divorced. Rosa persevered, finding a job at a Sewing Factory (Sweatshop) as a seamstress the same year. She continued working there for almost seven years. Throughout the years she worked as a labor inspector for Rand McNally, at a Dental Lab making dentures, retail stores doing alterations including Evans Furs, Rosalee’s, and Key Club Fashions where she became the Custom Tailor. For the last 10 years before retiring she worked as a laborer, then in the janitorial department of American Can Company. Though sometimes discouraged, Rosa never lost faith in God and His plans for her and her children. As she learned the language and American customs, Rosa began to appreciate her new home. One of her proudest moments came on December 19, 1972, when she became a naturalized citizen.

Rosa taught us many valuable lessons, like taking seriously the phrase “cleanliness is next to godliness”. She thought it important to keep herself, as well as her personal space, clean; believing that doing so was almost as important as being “good” or morally pure. Mopping her kitchen and bathroom floors, as well as scrubbing clean her commode was a daily routine she did not miss, even past her 94th birthday. No dirty dishes were ever left in the sink overnight. Her home was her sanctuary, with everything in its proper place and germs left just outside the door. She not only had a No-Shoes Policy upon entry, but if you gave her a chance, she would give you a discourse on the disgusting disease that’s on the bottom of your shoes. Rosa talked to her plants every day. Her favorite one was her palm tree which she loved and nurtured for over 60 years and called “Marcella”. Also, should you find a squirrel ever visiting you, grab some peanuts and coax her to stay awhile till she takes up residence on your porch. Rosa’s favorite was named “Ursula.” If you have a family member or friend going through a difficult time and they call you for advice while you have supper on the stove, let the food burn. Consider yourself fortunate that you were the one chosen to help them through their crisis situation. If you should discover your elderly neighbor had recent knee surgery and is suffering unbearable pain, don’t just offer to bring over the mail every day . . . but grab your “O’Brian’s Australian Oil of Eucalyptus” and go to her, then offer to massage the painful area with it while praying for healing. Her gratitude will be immeasurable, and she will greet you with a warm smile each day as you return. And when you ask someone ”How Are You?”, you’d better be prepared for their reply. Because they might just tell you they’re not okay. And if it’s a physical ailment, stop what you are doing, and wherever you find yourselves, a bus stop, a fabric shop, the grocery store, find a place for them to sit, have them remove their socks and shoes, and begin performing reflexology on their feet. It won’t matter if they’re total strangers, because Jesus said: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” In her lifetime, she made a difference in someone’s life time after time. Those who have taken her lessons to heart will continue to ensure that … Her love of nature, animals, people, and God was genuine and unbridled. She believed that we are all connected to each other and to everything on this Earth, having an infinite spiritual existence. Mostly, Rosa taught us how to use our hearts to the fullest.

Although she didn’t travel to faraway places, her love of reading and meditating took her to all corners of the earth and beyond. Leisure activities included watching her favorite TV series, Star Trek, even attending a convention or two in the early days. She was a “Trekkie” and a card-carrying member as a “Friend of the Federation”. In more recent years, she became an “Ancient Aliens” aficionado. She had a beautiful voice and loved to sing. And even in her 90’s, she was still the sharpest gal in the room, dancing the Argentine Tango without missing a step. She was very health conscious throughout her life, eating mostly a vegetarian diet, with emphasis on organic foods when she could afford them, limiting her sugar intake, and supplementing with minerals and vitamins, decades before everyone else discovered the benefits. She did, however, suffer from cravings for Papa John’s Cheese Pizza, light on the cheese and light on the sauce; although she learned to keep them under check through portion control. But her downfall was an intimate relationship she shared with chocolate ice cream, often sending her into a downward spiral. Her son-in-law, Gene, was her supplier. Eventually, he had to cut her off completely.

Her birth and death are not nearly as relevant as the days and nights that she lived in between. She had very little in life but always said she was the richest person in the world because she had family, particularly her children who made her proud of the contributions they make to the world around them every day. The lasting memories of her are simple: a hard-working woman of strength who never waned in her support or love of her family, who soldiered on, even when times were tough. Her devotion to her Creator went far beyond her membership in the First Spiritualist Church of Gary. Her daily meditation and reading and prayer helped her to draw guidance and strength from God and to accept what she could not change. Throughout her life she sought to gain wisdom; her thirst for knowledge was unquenchable, always searching for the deeper meaning of all things. She strove for perfection and was naturally creative. Rosa was an artist and an extremely accomplished seamstress, her flawless and innovative skills shone through every project she undertook and completed. She wanted to be as good as it is possible to be in all areas of her life. But more than all this, Rosa was a selfless, altruistic, generous, compassionate, loving, larger-than-life woman who brought light to all the lives she touched. We can be assured that she can feel our tears even though she doesn’t want us to cry.

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right-doing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” Rumi

Her memory remains a treasure in the hearts of her children she dearly loved: Ada “Cristina” Rotter (Gene) of St. Louis, Missouri, Isidro Gustavo Nilsson (Joanie Vogel) of Marysville, Washington, and Beatriz “Bee” Elena Jimpson (Lisa Farr) of Hammond, Wisconsin; her six grandchildren Christian Casey (Katie), Nathan Casey (Carie), Brianna Vogel Nilsson, Morgen Vogel Nilsson (Amanda), Monique Forcier, and Bernadette Fuqua; her 13 great-grandchildren Monica, Nathan, Autumn Cristina, Ansley Rose, Nate, Caiden, Olivia, Ryan, Blake, Cole, Dillon, Gustav, and Siri; nephew George Apollo, nephews Osvaldo Cornaglia and Gustavo Aune from Argentina, and an extended family of relations and friends from every walk of life. She was preceded in death by her parents, her two loving husbands, dear sisters Elena Cornaglia and Tina Apollo, and nephews Eduardo, Cacho, and Beto from Argentina.

A family Celebration of Rosa’s Life will be held at Rose Hill House, 225 W. Rose Hill Avenue, Kirkwood, Missouri 63122 on Saturday, June 26, 2021, beginning at 5 pm. In lieu of flowers, Rosa’s wish is that you do an unexpected and unsolicited act of kindness for someone in her name.