	Rose M. Staples, age 74, of Pinckneyville, died Wednesday, April 6, 2005 at 6:50 a.m. in the Pinckneyville Community Hospital.
	Rose was born in Pinckneyville on July 1, 1930, a daughter of John and Gertrude (Kurtz) Ballheimer.  She was a retired C. N. A. having worked at Pinckneyville Community Hospital.  Her memberships included St. Bruno Catholic Church, Pinckneyville, and the Blue Army.
	She volunteered making rosaries for the church mission outreach, loved traveling, being with her family, playing Bingo, crocheting, sewing, and assisted at the nursing home with patient care.
	Survivors include five children:  Thomas Eugene (Pam) Folden of Pinckneyville, Mary Ann Simpson of Gualala, Calif., John A. Gerber III of St. Ann, Mo., Karen (Tony) Buhl of Lebanon, Ill., and Ronald D. (Suzie) Gerber of Tamaroa, two brothers:  Francis Ballheimer of Mo. and John (Rosetta) Ballheimer of Pinckneyville, two sisters:  Catherine Cole of Du Quoin and Cecilia Finney of Tamaroa, six grandchildren:  Benjamin and Joseph W. Folden, Melissa Dawn Gerber, Seth Dunn, Troy A. and Treavor A. Gerber.
	Rose was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, a son:  Gerald Dean (Gary) Gerber and a sister:  Virginia Hawkins.
	Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 8, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. in St. Bruno Catholic Church with Fr. Brian Barker officiating.  Interment will be in the St. Bruno Cemetery.
	Friends may call at the Pyatt-Harrawood Funeral Home, Pinckneyville, on Thursday from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and on Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.  A rosary will be recited at the funeral home on Friday at 9:00 a.m.
	Memorials may be made to St. Bruno Catholic Church. 
