Thelma Lorene (Burkett) Rockey

Thelma Lorene (Burkett) Rockey, 80, New Palestine, passed away Friday, February 22, 2019. She was born in Putnam County on March 18, 1938 to Nelson Burkett and Stella (Maddox) Elsbury. Thelma lovingly married Richard H. Rockey on May 3, 1957. She was a gentle, sweet, kind and loving person. In her earlier years she enjoyed skating at the local roller rink in Maxwell. Come springtime, you could find her hiking through the woods in Greencastle in search of morel mushrooms. With a keen eye, she often found the tiniest of God’s creations. Thelma loved tending to her beautiful flower gardens and enjoyed many a weekend camping with family. She and her husband, Dick, spent countless hours fishing for Crappie and Bass on Bull Shoals lake in Arkansas. One of her favorite places to be was on the boat with fishing pole in hand, often telling Dick after a catch, “Mine is bigger, beat that!” Thelma is survived by her husband of 61 years, Richard Rockey, Rock Springs, WY; her son, Rickey Rockey (Vonnie), Rock Springs, WY; grandchildren, Andrea (Jason) Habel, Laramie, WY, Shawn Rockey, Laramie, WY, Shelby Rockey, Nampa, ID, and Erin (Jeremy) Theriot, Chatham, LA; three great-grandchildren; her sisters, Norma Rockey, New Palestine, IN, Charlotte Pike, Fountaintown, IN, and her brother, John (Robin) Burkett, Greenfield, IN; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Betty Bush, and her brothers, Asa Burkett and in infancy, Walter Burkett. Memorial Services were held on March 9, 2019. Online condolences may be shared at www.neptunesociety.com/obituaries.