Roseann (Hart) Fleming

Roseann (Hart) Fleming, 100, died peacefully in her sleep on the morning of March 3, 2023.

Roseann was born on Sept. 6, 1922, as a breech baby, at Haish Memorial Hospital in DeKalb. She was the youngest of four children of Joseph Jerome Hart and Gertrude (Boyle) Hart. Roseann was a proud fifth generation Irish descendant of Patrick Hart, who emigrated from Baltinglass, County Wicklow in 1850.

Roseann and her family lived on Keslinger Road in Afton Township, where Babson Farms is currently located. During the Great Depression, they moved from the farm to Grove Street in DeKalb, then to North Ninth Street and finally to North Sixth Street. Roseann graduated from DeKalb High School in 1941. She worked a telephone operator at DeKalb-Ogle / Contel / GTE / Verizon from 1941 to 1984.

Roseann married the love of her life, Leon Fleming, at St. Mary Catholic Church in DeKalb on her birthday, Sept. 6, 1958.

Roseann was an avid music lover, and a life-long member of St. Mary Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Leon in 2006, a brother Joseph Patrick Hart, her sisters Mary Rita (Hart) Olson and Helen (Hart) Ryan, and a niece Barbara (Olson) Orlikowski of Rochelle.

Roseann is survived by her son Michael (Michelle) Fleming, grandsons Christopher and Jeffrey Fleming, all of DeKalb; nieces Sandra (Olson) Rogers of Bloomfield KY and Mary Alice Hart of Freeport IL, and nephews Chet Olson of Rochelle and Joe Hart of Madison WI., and extended family and friends.

Our family would like to thank the caring nurses at Bethany Health Care and ProMedica for making Roseann's last few months as comfortable as possible.

Funeral services will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7 at Finch Funeral Home, 310 Oak Street in DeKalb, with Deacon Steve Puscas officiating. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 8 at St. Mary Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Autism Science Foundation. https://autismsciencefoundation.org/ Arrangements were entrusted to: Finch Funeral Home 310 Oak St. DeKalb, IL, 60115, (815) 758-3841.