Obituary of Rose Agnes Holm Zipper

Rose Agnes Holm Zipper passed away peacefully at home on June 1, 2026.  Rose was born on July 23, 1920, in a private home on the corner of Britten Street and Green Village Road, in the area now known as Green Village.  She lived in Madison for 100 years.  Her father, Carl E. Holm, was part of the horticulture industry which gave Madison the name of “Rose City”.  Carl E. Holm Nurseries, on Greenwood Avenue, was her home, with two large steam heated greenhouses in back, acreage planted with trees and shrubs for sale, chickens, and a farm horse named “Pete” that Rose and her three sisters could ride. 

Rose had an identical twin sister, Lillian, who passed away at age 37.  Her parents Carl and Margaret, her husband Eugene, her older sisters Catherine and Margaret, her daughter Jeanne, and her grandson Christoper, also predeceased Rose.

Rose and Lillian attended St. Vincent Martyr grammar school and Madison High School, graduating in the class of 1939.  Many classmates noted they could not always tell the two apart and would just call them “Twin” (and sometimes, “Double Trouble”!).   They rode the train to New York for a few years, working as secretaries.  Rose enjoyed telling the story of how she and Lil shared a single driver’s license, knowing that no one would be able to tell who was actually driving.

Rose married Eugene Edward Zipper in St. Vincent Martyr Church on June 8, 1947.  Eugene was a WWII Veteran; he passed away in 2019 at the age of 99.  Together they raised five children in Madison, Carl, Jeanne Kane (deceased)(Kevin), Barbara MacNeill (Philip), Richard (Deborah), and John (Kathy).  Rose’s father Carl lived with the family on Greenwood Avenue until age 97.

Rose was a member of St. Vincent Martyr Parish all her life.  She was an active member of the Rosary Society, and she was a 59-year member of the Thursday Morning Club where she served in multiple leadership roles.  She and Eugene were charter members of the Noe Pond Club, where she played in tennis and paddleball leagues and where the family swam in the summer.  Rose and Eugene socialized at Noe Pond and participated in regular organized bridge card games.  They also delivered Meals on Wheels.  As a member of the Rose City Steppers walking club, Rose earned a commemorative Y2K award for walking every street in Madison.  She was a Leader for daughter Jeanne’s Girl Scout Troop, and she was also a member of the Madison Ambulance Corps for a time.  Along with playing bridge, she always enjoyed a good game of Scrabble, doing crossword puzzles, and, later in life, solving Word Search games and doing jigsaw puzzles.

Rose was an accomplished seamstress and knitter.  She taught sewing classes for Madison children at the Community House, and she sewed hundreds of Baptismal Bibs for St. Vincent parishioners.  She was awarded several First-Place ribbons by the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs for her knitting project entries.  Growing up during the Depression taught her that making clothing and items for the home was better than buying.  All of her children and grandchildren were blessed with her handmade sweaters and quilts.

Rose lived by the motto “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”   She taught her children to respect all people and their differences without ever having to say it.

During her long busy life in Madison, she joined or volunteered for just about every club, organization, committee, league, or group in town.  Rose and Eugene rarely missed a good night out at the Monday Borough Council meetings.  Her children believe her picture has appeared in the Madison Eagle more than any other resident, past, present, or future. 

Rose will be deeply missed by her children, her nine grandchildren, her nine great-grandchildren, her nieces and nephews, and her companion and caregiver of the past six years, Felicia Larramendia, who, along with her sister, Tina, and her entire family, lovingly allowed Rose to live her final years in comfort and good humor.

A funeral service will be held at St. Vincent Martyr Church in Madison on Monday, June 8 at 10 a.m.   (For those who cannot attend the Funeral Mass in-person, the Mass will be livestreamed via St. Vincent Martyr’s Website (https://svmnj.org/). Burial will follow at St. Vincent Martyr Cemetery in Madison.  Visitation will be held at Burroughs, Kohr & Dangler Funeral Home on Sunday, June 7, from 3 to 6 pm. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Thursday Morning Club, 25 Cook Avenue, Madison NJ 07940 (thursdaymorningclub.org).