Rosa Lee Balsmann

Rosa Lee Balsmann, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at Saint Francis Medical Center.

Rosa Lee was born Aug. 3, 1932, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Margareitte and Orville Teaford.

She and Herbert Hugo Balsmann were united in marriage on July 2, 1955, in Cape Girardeau. They spent almost 56 wonderful years together until his death Jan. 10, 2011.

Rosa Lee graduated from Cape Girardeau Central High School in 1950.

She worked in the trucking industry for 30 years, first as a clerk at Burlington Truck Lines in St. Louis. Not liking the city, she moved back to Cape and began working as a bookkeeper at L.A. Tucker Truck Lines in January 1953. She worked there for 28 years, through the changing of the name from Tucker to Inman and Wintz. When Wintz closed the office in Cape, she decided to retire.

Through the years, the family enjoyed a lot of camping, boating, swimming, skiing and fishing. She loved to travel and would go anywhere when she got the chance.

Rosa Lee lived and breathed Cardinals baseball and knew the names and numbers for each player by heart, even in her later years. She could not wait for baseball to start so she'd have something to watch on TV and sure missed them in 2020.

Her love for her family was very evident to all who knew her. She will be so deeply missed by all who knew her.

Loving survivors include two sons, Keith (Connie Keener) and Brian (Stacy Robey) Balsmann; a daughter, Robin (Tab) Wachter; three grandchildren, Dane (Ashton) Balsmann, Lacey Rose Balsmann and Everly Jo Balsmann; three great-grandchildren, Maxwell Drew, Beau Gregory and Baylor Dane Balsmann; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by four sisters, one brother, two nieces and one nephew.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau with the Rev. Brian Strauss officiating. Burial will be at St. Mary's Cemetery in Cape Girardeau.

Memorial contributions may be given to Avenue of Flags, 1049 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.

Online condolences may be made at www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.