Rose McClain…May 30, 1933 – April 15, 2020

Rose McClain of La Junta, CO passed away on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at Evergreen Gardens in La Junta, CO at the age of 86.

Rose Darlene (Jesser) McClain was born on May 30, 1933 on a farm near Pritchett, CO to Philip and Christena (Jantz) Jesser. Her parents homesteaded there in 1914. Rose, the seventh of eight children grew up on the farm heartily surviving the hardship times of that era. While in high school at Pritchett she met her life’s partner, Robert (Bob) McClain and eloped with him six months later, a marriage lasting 60 years.

Rose continued her education after marriage through American Schools correspondence and graduated at the top of her class of 450 students. Bob and Rose worked on a ranch the first two years of marriage then bought the Red & White Café in Pritchett operating it for 4 years. In 1958 they moved to Lamar where Bob was employed by Safeway and Rose was employed by Sears and later by Eisenhauer’s Department Store where she managed the fabric department and sold custom draperies. She loved working with fabrics and was an excellent seamstress. This evolved into opening her own custom drapery business, doing sewing in the basement of her home and selling from a van loaded with samples, traveling on call to the customer’s home. This was very personalized and worked very well for her even doing all the installation herself. This business continued for 15 years. When Bob was offered a partnership in a grocery store in Leoti, KS they made a huge step and headed for KS where Bob managed the grocery store and Rose continued her drapery business which prospered there. After seven years in Kansas they made another huge step and purchased Rhodes Food Center in Rocky Ford renaming it McClain’s Food Center. This venture required Roses’ full attention and she had to give up her drapery business. After 8 years they built the new McClain’s Super Store and operated it with the help of their two sons and later their daughter also. Bob and Rose won several wonderful promotional trips and awards of excellence during that time. Some of their trips were to Banff, Canada, Hawaii, Bahamas, Caribbean Cruise, Mexico City, Victoria, Canada, and visited many states also. They loved vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Bob passed away in 2009.

Rose was always a very active person and did everything whole heartedly. There was no halfway. Her passion in school was softball pitcher, basketball forward, then later fishing and boating, bowling, golf, but probably most of all flowers. She had a beautiful yard at every residence they ever lived doing all the work herself until her late years. She excelled in flower arranging and loved competition and winning awards. The clubs she participated in were Civic Club, Elena Club, Garden Club, Loomis Iris Society, and Toastmasters International. She was a lifelong Christian. She loved Jesus and attended church regularly for decades.

Rose is survived by her children, Karen (Gary) Hall and John McClain; daughter-in-law, Cindy McClain; grandchildren, Lori Ann (Brandon) Elam, Christina (Doug) Grasmick, Gary (Alisha) Hall II, David (Heather) McClain, Christopher McClain, Shawna (Alfred Baca) McClain, Robert John McClain, Alisha Marie McClain; 20 great grandchildren; 14; great-great grandchildren; many other relatives and a host of friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Bob McClain; son, Robert McClain; sibling, Clara Woodhouse, Edna Scott, Ruben Jesser, Alma Hutchison, Harvey Jesser, Charles Jesser, and Dorothy Higgins; granddaughter, Elizabeth Louise Hall; and great grandson, Wester Bradley Dale.

A private graveside service will take place at Bent/Las Animas Cemetery in Las Animas, CO.

Memorial contributions may be made to Arkansas Valley Hospice or a charity of donor’s choice in care of Horber Funeral Chapel, PO Box 431, Las Animas, CO, 81054.

For more information or to leave online condolences, please visit www.horberfuneralchapel.com.