Rosemary Jarvis Wilkes

(Was a "Rosie the Riveter" during World War II) Rosemary Jarvis Wilkes, 89, resident of Amherst, NH, died Friday, May 21, 2010 at the Courville Nursing Home in Nashua, NH. Rosemary was born on April 5, 1921 in Hubbard, Texas, the oldest child, and only daughter of Ray Hughes Jarvis and Onie (Tanner) Jarvis. Rosemary graduated from Hubbard High School in 1938 and from the University of Texas, Austin in 1942 with a B.A. in Home Economics. She remained a steadfast and proud Longhorn fan all of her life. Rosemary married her hometown sweetheart, Lowell L. Wilkes Jr. in Hubbard on January 25, 1943. She and Lowell remained happily married for 64 years until Lowell’s death in 2007. Rosemary’s husband Lowell was a West Point graduate and a Signal Corps officer in Northern Italy during World War II. Rosemary’s own experiences during wartime are preserved in the Rosie the Riveter Museum in Oakland, CA. As is recorded there in her own words, “My wartime work was with Magnolia Petroleum Company in Dallas, Texas. The company later became a part of Exxon-Mobil Corporation. I worked in the Podbylniac Laboratory project to take the lead out of gasoline to reduce the downtime of military portable generators, vehicles and other gasoline powered equipment. As a Rosie, I was chosen for this work because I had studied Chemistry at the University of Texas. My title was that of Laboratory Technician. I liked the people I worked with and the importance of the work related to the war. I really didn’t have any dislikes to what I was doing, even with the rotating shifts. I was glad to do whatever I could to help shorten the war, especially with my husband overseas in Italy and my brother in the South Pacific.” In 1958, when Lowell retired from the Army, he and Rosemary moved with their family to Lexington, Massachusetts. As she had done in so many places before Rosemary quickly established roots and made lifelong friends. As a Lexington resident, Rosemary was a leader in numerous civic organizations. In 1975, as President of the Lexington Outlook Club, Rosemary played an integral role in orchestrating several of the Town’s Bicentennial Celebrations marking the beginning of the American Revolution. Rosemary spearheaded the creation of a commemorative quilt which highlights Lexington’s historic sites and which is preserved at the historic Munroe Tavern. Additionally, she served as President of the Lexington PTA and was an active member of the Lexington Methodist Church. In 1977, Rosemary and her family moved to Amherst, NH where she lived until entering an eldercare facility. In Amherst she also played an active role in Town life including serving as President of the Amherst Questers and the Amherst Garden Club. She was a founding member of the Souhegan Congregational Church. Ingrained with small town values, and the loving devotion of Lowell and her family, Rosemary enjoyed a truly wonderful life. She loved entertaining her family and her many friends both in her home and at “Perrywood”, her beloved summer cottage, on Lake Winnisquam. Rosemary is survived by her four devoted children, Lyndon, Ray, Bill and Barbara; and nine loving grandchildren, Christina, Jessica, Kasey, Ben, Chelsea, Taylor, Alyssa, Kyle, and Emily; a great grandson, Thomas; and three nieces, Jac, Ruth and Mary. Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, May 25th at 11:00 AM in the Lexington Methodist Church, 2600 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA. All are invited to a luncheon at the Church immediately following the service. Burial will be in West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY, on Wednesday, May 26th. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Hubbard Methodist Church, Hubbard, TX 76648 or to the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Mass General Hospital, 116 14th Street 114-2001, Charlestown, MA 02129 ATTN: MIND Research Program.