Shirley Rose

With her faith as her unwavering companion, Shirley Rose truly lived. She drank in so much of what life has to offer and discovered that it is in loving others that we are truly blessed. A loving wife and dedicated mother, Shirley treasured being a grandmother and may even say that this was life’s greatest reward. She was a gifted musician who shared her talents with others, bringing glory to the Lord she loved. With the love of her life by her side for more than 60 years, Shirley visited every state in our great nation, but was always happiest whenever her loved ones were near. Although her friends and family now say goodbye, they find comfort in knowing that Shirley has been made whole again and is resting in the arms of her Lord in her eternal home.

The year 1929 is often remembered as the year that the crash of the stock market sent our nation spiraling into the despair of the Great Depression. These were times of great hardship for so many Americans who found themselves without jobs, without homes, and without hope for reprieve anywhere on the horizon. This was an unforgettable year for one young couple from Grand Rapids, Michigan, for a much different reason, however, since they celebrated in the birth of a healthy baby girl on August 13th. Shirley Anne was welcomed into the loving arms of her parents, Thomas and Alice (Niemeyer) Weeber, and was the oldest of six children in her family including her siblings Louise, Tom, Lewis, Carol, and Mary. Her father worked as a milk delivery driver while her mother remained at home as a homemaker until later working in central supply at Butterworth Hospital.

The Weeber family lived in various homes on the west side before settling into their home on Crosby NW. Shirley attended local schools including West Leonard School, Harrison Park Junior High, and Union High School. It was also during her formative years that Shirley learned to embrace her personal faith. Their family was faithful members of Calvary Undenominational Church in Grand Rapids where Shirley received the fundamentals of what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Midway through her time at Union High School, Shirley moved to California in 1944 to be a companion to her cousin whose father had taken a job constructing military barracks for one year.

Once she was back in Michigan, Shirley resumed her education at Union and became acquainted with a fellow classmate named Jim Rose. The year was 1946 and it was Shirley’s junior year in high school. They dated for the following couple of years during which time she graduated from high school in 1947. Deeply in love, Shirley and Jim were united in marriage on December 29, 1948, in Grand Rapids.

In 1952, they moved to Whitehall where Shirley was an active member of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Whitehall. She served as a pianist to accompany various singing groups, and she sang in the choir as well. Shirley was also affiliated with many of the women's ministries and groups there. While living in Whitehall Shirley also worked as a secretary for a local insurance company.

They remained in Whitehall for 10 years, but moved to Grand Haven for a couple of years beginning in 1962. In 1965 they moved back to Grand Rapids where they remained throughout the rest of their life. It wasn’t long after settling into their home on Tamarack that Shirley became very involved with First Evangelical Covenant Church. They had just completed their new facility on Tremont Boulevard. After living on Tamarack for one year the Rose family moved to a home on Oakhurst in 1965 where Shirley and Jim remained until moving into a condo in Blueberry Valley in 2003.

Family always played an important role in Shirley’s life. Together she and Jim were blessed with three boys: Michael, David, and Bryan. Everything that came out of her kitchen was wonderful, especially Shirley’s Sunday dinners of roast beef and mashed potatoes. Her sweet treats were equally as good as her savory dishes and included Swedish specialties. She even cooked on vacation! With her easygoing personality, Shirley was a mother who could always keep her cool.

Although caring for her family was always her priority, Shirley also kept busy doing other things. Once in Grand Rapids she worked as a bank teller at Old Kent Bank for 20 years before retiring in 1988. She loved to knit, enjoyed crafts, and was an avid reader. The Rose family did a fair amount of traveling when the boys were growing up, but once they retired Shirley loved traveling more extensively with Jim. They visited every state including Alaska and Hawaii as well as many of the Caribbean islands. Winters usually found Shirley and Jim either in Florida or Arizona.

The last four years of Shirley’s life have been trying ones for both Shirley and her loved ones. She suffered with back and leg injuries that left her confined to her home. Jim tenderly cared for her as long as he was able, but a series of falls left her needing more care. Shirley then moved into the Christian Rest Home in September of this past year where her health continued to decline and dementia crept in more and more.

Someone who was content in all things, Shirley Rose was a faith-filled woman who taught us what grace really is. She took everything in stride and didn’t let things get her down. Shirley was friendly and outgoing, which made her so easy to talk to, and she was a great listener, too. A true gift in the lives of many, Shirley will be deeply missed and fondly remembered.

Shirley Anne Rose died on Thursday, March 31, 2011. Her family includes her husband, Jim; children, Michael (Barbara) Rose, David (Julie) Rose, Bryan (Mary) Rose; seven grandchildren, Emily Rose, Katie Rose, James (Erica) Rose, Kristofer Rose, Jason (Sara) Rose, Erika (Rian) Morgan, Stephanie (Damon) Brown; six great-grandchildren; her siblings, Thomas (Gwen) Weeber, Lewis (Gevie) Weeber, Carol (Mike) Weller, Mary (Bob) Van Dyke, former brother-in-law Roger (Joyce) Kroes; and several nieces and nephews. Shirley was preceded in death by her sister, Louise Kroes. Memorial services will be held 11 a.m. Monday at First Evangelical Covenant Church, 1933 Tremont Blvd. NW. Friends may meet the family on Sunday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at Heritage Lifestory Funeral Home, Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr NW. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a favorite memory, sign the guestbook, and make a memorial contribution to the church music fund, Faith Hospice, 2100 Raybrook St SE, Suite 300, 49546 or the Christian Rest Home, 1000 Edison NW, 49504.