Rosemary (Leonhard) Hickman, 96, passed away peacefully on September 9, 2026, at Sharon Richardson Hospice in Sheboygan Falls. Rosemary (Rosie) was born on June 21, 1930, to Henry and Clara (Wagner) Leonhard in Cleveland, WI. She married Norman Hickman on March 14, 1953.

Rosie’s greatest gifts were her abilities to listen to others letting them know they are seen and heard, and her great sense of humor. She may have been mom to her ten children, but she extended that motherly love to so many more. There was always room for one more at our table even if times were tough. One of her final conversations was that she loved so many people, but she was loved by so many as well.

Through the years, she held several jobs outside the home, but her most important jobs were serving on the committees that she was part of, often instrumental in their founding, to help others. She was an active member of the Manitowoc Miracles for many years, chaperoning, coaching, planning, and anything else that was needed to help that chapter of Special Olympics to succeed. She was a founder of the Manitowoc Association for Developmentally Disabled as an alternative to the Wisconsin ARC . Additionally, she sat on the Manitowoc County Transportation Coordinating Committed which coordinates specialized transportation programs for older adults and individuals with disabilities to insure the stability of transportation for people with disabilities.

Rosie is survived by her children, Sharon “Kymn” Schicker, Myron (Kathleen) Hickman, Byron Hickman, LuAnne Heinen-Nigrelli, Duane (Val) Hickman, Allan “AJ” Hickman, and Sherilyn “Cookie” Hickman, and sons-in-law Dennis Rambo and Eric Stahl. She is further survived by 23 grandchildren, 47 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren, her sisters, brother, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law, Gertrude Leonhard, Marcy Stein, Margaret “Teresa” Kramer, Genny (Ralph) Kramer, Walter Leonhard, Julie Hickmann and family friend, Charleen Schloseky.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Norman Hickman, daughters Karen Rambo, Diane Stahl, and Kerilyn “Mouse” Hickman, son-in-law Biagio “BJ” Nigrelli, Jr., daughter-in-law Patricia Hickman, grandson Chad Wasmer, and great-granddaughter Chelsea Hickman. She is further preceded in death by her parents and father-in-law and mother-in-law, George and Clara Hickmann, brothers Joseph Leonhard and Clemens Leonhard, sisters-in-law Patrica Leonhard, Myra Leonhard, Rosemary Leonhard and Ella Meyer, brothers-in-law Arnold Kramer, Harold Stein, Alfred Hickmann, Milton Meyer, Ralph Hickmann, Leander Hickmann, Raymond Hickmann, and Elmer Hickmann.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 16th from 11:00 – 3:00. Funeral services to follow at St. Peter’s UCC, 424 Fremont Street, Kiel. A committal service will follow at Union Cemetery, 17920 County Rd. XX, Kiel. The family will hold a celebration of her life after the committal service at her home.

We would like to thank the teams at Holy Family and ThedaCare for their care over the last two weeks. A special thank you to Sharon S. Richardson Hospice for their kindness during Rosie’s stay as she transitioned to her glorious life everlasting. Special thank you to her extra caregivers over the last few years Darla Otto—or child #11 as we call her, Kathy Hackmann, Colene Wasmer, Rachel Heusemann, and Val Hickman who often gave Cookie a break from her role as her main caregiver. She will be missed, but she will be celebrated more as she was a truly remarkable lady. Any money received will go to Manitowoc Miracles (Special Olympics) of Manitowoc County.