Desert Messenger

February 2, 2011

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P��� 16 ���.D�����M��������.���  ROSALEE FROM PAGE 3 MEXICAN POTTERY at the Sweet Shoppe Quartzsite Marketplace 50 E. Kuehn Space #25 (next to Bad Boys Cafe) Great Selection and Prices! RV Day/Night SHADE REPAIR Remove/Restring/Reinstall Mobile Service • Affordable Pricing! Discount for multiple blinds! 7 years experience Are your blinds too tight or too loose? We can adjust! AZ Lic. #1622 714-916-1702 Pattie’s RV Park OPEN YEAR-ROUND! LARGE LOTS! 455 E. Main St., Quartzsite ~ Walk to shopping! - Propane Sales - Open 7days/week • 7am-5pm ~ Laundromat ~ RO Water ~ Thrift Shop ~ Propane 928-927-4223 Benefi ting Quartzsite’s No Kill Animal Shelter Check out the newly remodeled gift shop & boutique with new designer jewelry! 455 E. Main St. Quartzsite Open 7 days 9-2 951-764-6072 In 1976 Rosalee was inspired to pur- chase the old Conner Homestead and airstrip with a dream to put in a little trailer park for winter visitors. She had managed the property since 1956 and immediately went to work on her dream for what became known as Des- ert Gardens. On October 29, 1977 Rosalee mar- ried her eternal sweetheart Harland Hershel Shepard and assisted him in enlarging his Roadrunner Market as he assisted her with her Desert Gar- dens dream. Still being an active bee- keeper, she cut back on other projects in order to take off honey during the spring “honey fl ow.” During this time she reluctantly allowed her Arizona Cosmetology license to expire, “Be- cause,” she said, “I want to spend time with my sweetheart.” Quartzsite was Rosalee’s home for over 70 years where she lived much of the history of Southwestern Arizona’s twentieth century and enjoyed sharing that history with winter visitors in her “Voices From the Past” columns in lo- cal newspapers. In 2001 she compiled those columns and published the fi rst of two volumes of her “In the Shadow of Saguaros” books. Rosalee was a lifetime member of the Quartzsite, Rio Colorado (serving as secretary) and Arizona Historical Societies. In her 90-plus years Rosalee en- joyed being a beautician, gold miner, beekeeper, school teacher, property manager, real estate developer, gro- cery store proprietor, newspaper col- umnist, author and historian. But her greatest joy was being a mother to her three children, a grandmother and great-grandmother. Rosalee is survived by her three chil- dren; a son, Charles Richard Oldham of Quartzsite, and his daughter Rhon- da Lee Karas and her husband Daniel Gene Karas of Prescott and their son Jeffrey of Tempe. A daughter, Patricia Adeline Vaughn and son-in-law William Lee Vaughn of Clovis, California and their daughters; Melinda Janell Heller and her husband Randal Evan Heller of Draper, Utah and her son Austin Michael Wood. Another daughter, Wendee Kristeen Winter and her husband Joel Dick Winter and their children Brendan Allen and his wife Mette, Andrew Wil- liam, Joelle Marie and Logan Vaughn Winter. A daughter Hellen Kayleen Da- vis of Highland, California and her son Charles Rhett Davis and his wife Dominique of Lake Havasu City and his daughter Chelsea Paige. Hellen’s daughter, Lucinda Kayleen Perez and her husband Robert Perez of Lakeland, Florida and her son Brandon Swayze. Rosalee is also survived by a brother and sister-in law, Norman Allen and Pat Hemphill of Peoria, Arizona. Two brothers, Raymond Melvin and Carl Burdette Hemphill, preceded her. A funeral service was held on January 29th at the Quartzsite Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with interment at the Hi Jolly Cemetery in Quartzsite. In lieu of fl owers, it was Rosalee’s wish that donations be made to the Tyson’s Well Museum on Main Street in Quartzsite. [Editor’s note: Rosalee wrote almost her whole life, so there’s much to be learned from her even after leaving us. The family is very interested in sharing her stories with the rest of the world. There will more information in the Feb. 16th edition of the Desert Messenger.] F������� 2, 2011 Pets & Children Welcome! Animal Refuge Thrift Shop Southwest Connection

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