Emma Schirmer 1923-2022
Emma Consuala Roustan Schirmer left this world on March 15, 2022, and is dancing in heaven with her beloved husband, Phil.
She was the eldest daughter of Leonard Roustan and Mercedes Barroro Rouston, entering into this life on April 8, 1923, and kept the festival going in memory of her siblings, Gloria Roustan, Martha Braley and John Roustan. She set the academic bar high for her siblings as she always achieved A’s in every school subject. She went on to received her AA at Santa Ana College in California.
It was while working at Security Bank in Orange, Calif., that she joined a church youth group after WWII and met the love of her life, Phil. It was love at first dance. Phil courted Emma with the blessing of her mother, grandmother and numerous uncles. They married in St. Ann’s Church in Santa Ana, Calif., on Oct. 9, 1949, then moved to Holton that year to assist with the family farm.
Being a city girl, the transition to rural living was quite a change. She was welcomed into the family and began her Kansas adventure on the farm west of Holton with her in-laws, Edward and Ida (Fricker) Schirmer.
Emma was an accomplished bookkeeper. Much time was spent working for George Swift Tax Accounting, whose office was in the lower area of Koger’s on the west side of the Holton Square, and finished her tenure with Lyle and Barbara Pruitt Accounting in the building on the south side of the Holton Post Office. When Lyle and Barbara retired, Emma continued bookkeeping in her home office.
Emma and Phil shared many happy hours together square dancing, traveling throughout the U.S. and sharing comradery with fellow SD’ers in Texas, California and Missouri. They were founding members of the 16-75’ers Square Dance Club, later known as JC CO Squares.
Emma shared love of country and kin with her involvement in American Legion Mary L. Bair Unit No. 44, Jackson County Hospice Volunteers, St. Dominic’s Mary Ann Circle and St. Dominic’s Altar Society.
She was preceded in death by her daughter, Dorothy Schirmer, in infancy; husband Phil; sisters Gloria and Martha; and brother John.
Honoring her legacy are Ed Schirmer and wife, Ginnie, Circleville; daughter Phyllis Dove, Laurinburg, N.C.; three granddaughters, Leah Schmidt and husband D.W., O’Fallon, Ill., Sarah Schirmer, Overland Park, and Becky Shaw and husband, Brandon, Holton; and three great-grandchildren, Eli Schmidt, Eva Shaw and Nora Palmer.
A rosary service will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, March 18, after which family will meet with friends until 8 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church in Holton. Interment will follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery west of Holton. Emma will lie in state at Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Holton after noon on Thursday.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Jackson County Friends of Hospice or Beck Bookman Library, and may be sent in care of Chapel Oaks Funeral Home, P.O. Box 1034, Holton, KS 66436. Online condolences may be made at chapeloaksfuneralhome.com
(PAID OBITUARY)
