For eight years, Rose Vesper served as state representative for the tiny, riverside village of New Richmond, Ohio, just east of Cincinnati. She gave a lot to the village and its people, and now they’re giving back in the form of a grassy, one-acre park that includes a gazebo, playground, walking trail and park benches.

“The list is endless of different projects where she had a lasting impact on the community,” Ohio State Sen. Tom Niehaus said before a crowd of several hundred at the dedication. Niehaus helped secure state funding for the project, which also included a donation from Vesper’s husband, Dr. Lee Vesper, a retired Cincinnati-area dermatologist.

Vesper, formerly Rose Marie Heiselmann, Class of 1960, is a longtime New Richmond resident. In addition to her time in the Ohio House of Representatives, she also served as the Ohio governor’s regional economic development representative for the Cincinnati region between 2001 and 2003. She’s now suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.