Lela Gertrude Rosnett, 72

Lela Gertrude Rosnett, age 72, of Plano, Texas passed away Aug. 30, 2019 at the Methodist Hospital in Richardson, Texas of a cardiac arrest.  She was born Sept. 16, 1946 in Pueblo, Colorado, to John and Mabel McCauley.  She was a 1964 graduate of South High School in Pueblo, Colorado and a 1968 graduate of Platte Valley Bible College, in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.  On Sept. 9, 1972, she married Bill Rosnett at the 29^th Street Church of Christ/Christian in Pueblo, Colorado. 

Shortly after graduating from Platte Valley Bible College, Lela answered the call of the Lord to do mission work and went to Germany to work with Alva and Janice Phillips in their mission work, the Black Forest Christian Mission.  In 1971, she met Bill Rosnett when he arrived in Germany on a mission internship and after their marriage, she and Bill began their own mission work in Germany in 1973, Germany for Christ, Inc.  In 1980, Lela and Bill returned to the States to care for Lela’s aging parents.  In 1983, after her dad had passed, the family, including Lela’s mother, moved to Jacksonville Arkansas where Bill ministered with the Jacksonville Christian Church.  In 1999, Lela and Bill moved to Pana, Illinois and ministered there and then to Plano, Texas in 2007, where she lived until her death.  She became a part of the Northwest Christian Church family in McKinney, Texas when Bill was hired as minister in 2012.

During her life, besides being a missionary, Lela was a passionate teacher of the Word of God, first to German children in the Black Forest of Germany and then to women in every church family she was a part of.  And she was still teaching up until the time of her death.  She also served as church secretary in various churches, missions committee member, forwarding agent for the missionary, Diane Miller in Papau New Guinea, women’s conference speaker, and a prayer warrior.

She held secular jobs as well, beginning as a secretary in Boulder, Colorado: in the retail business with the department store, Tempo, in Pueblo, Colorado; substitute teacher in Jacksonville, Arkansas; kitchen help with Head Start in Pana, Illinois; and, working again in retail as an associate with JC Penney in Plano, Texas from 2007 until the time of her death.   

Her love and devotion to her family was unparalleled.  Her involvement with Bill in his ministries and the teaching, the impact she made on Dean has left a legacy of greatness.

Lela is preceded in death by her parents, John and Mabel McCauley and brother Don McClearen.

Lela is survived by her husband, Bill; by her son, Dean Rosnett (Stephanie) of Plano, Texas; three grandsons:  William, Josiah and Karson, all of Plano, Texas; by her sister, Mary Orf of Pueblo, Colorado; her brother, Jim McClearen, of Pueblo, Colorado; two nephews: Scott Orf (Gina), of Pueblo, Colorado and Scott McDonald (Renae) of Shreveport, Louisiana; as well as several great nephews and great nieces.

A Celebration of Lela’s life will be held on Saturday, September 21, 2019 at 11 A.M. in the chapel at A Natural State Funeral Service, 2620 West Main Street, Jacksonville, Arkansas, 72076. 501-982-3400.