Velma ‘Betty’ Rose

Posted

(Dec. 26, 2009)

Velma “Betty” Rose, 89, died at Powell Valley Hospital on Dec. 26, 2009.

Betty was born Sept. 20, 1920, in Hazard, Neb., the fifth of seven children born to George and Carrie Olson. After graduating from high school in Lyman, Neb., and beauty school in Colorado, she married Fred Rose in a double-wedding ceremony on March 29, 1942, in Phoenix, Ariz.

Betty and Fred lived in San Diego, where they both worked in an airplane factory during World War II. It was in San Diego that their first daughter, Judy, was born. In 1951, they pursued their lifelong dream, bought a farm in Caldwell, Idaho, and began farming and operating a dairy. Their son Terry was born in Idaho.

In 1960, they decided to move back to their beloved Wyoming, where they bought a farm on Heart Mountain. Together they operated a successful farming operation until they retired.

After retirement, Betty and Fred spent several years living in Hemet, Calif., until they moved back to Powell in 2002. Betty was an excellent seamstress, always eager to accept challenges whether in constructing new clothing or making major alterations to existing garments. She always had a deck of cards handy, and she loved her bridge games and enjoyed many bridge clubs wherever she lived. Betty was also an excellent cook and was proud of her specialty: pies. Her thinking was that it wouldn’t be a holiday without at least four different varieties of pie. It didn’t matter if four or 14 people were to attend an event, she would always make at least four pies.

Betty is survived by her husband of nearly 68 years, Fred; her daughter Judy Jones (Terry) of Powell; son Terry of Cody; five granddaughters Jennifer Melton of Scottsdale, Ariz., Janelle Jones of Thornton, Colo., Tanya Hernandez (Travis) of Prescott Valley, Ariz., Amy Rose of New York and Robyn Rose of South Dakota; and a sister, Vivian Winfree of Sun Lakes, Ariz. She especially enjoyed her two great-granddaughters, Kylee Melton and Taryn Hernandez.

She was preceded in death by three brothers and two sisters.

Services will be on Thursday, Dec. 31, at 11 a.m. at Thompson Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Crown Hill Cemetery. Thompson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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