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F������� 2, 2011 ���.D�����M��������.��� Rosalee Odessa Hemphill Oldham Shepard Wheeler Quartzsite Matriarch leaves behind a legacy July 13, 1920 - January 23, 2011 Our lovely matriarch, Rosalee Odes- sa Shepard Wheeler, passed away on Sunday, January 23, 2011, at the age of 90. Rosalee was born on July 13, 1920 to Ray Melvin and Mabel Eliza- beth Venable Hemphill in Pleasant Hill, Pike County, Illinois. Her fam- ily moved to Arizona in 1931 where she attended Monroe Elementary and Phoenix Union High Schools. She at- tended Flagstaff High School when her father accepted a position in that city. She also graduated from the Arizona School of Cosmetology in Phoenix and remained a licensed cosmetologist until 1980. After graduating she re- turned to Flagstaff where she worked at Longley’s Beauty Shoppe until she married Charles Hogue Oldham on September 12, 1937 in Prescott, Arizona. Together they honeymooned and lived on the Hutch Mountain Lookout Tow- er where Charles was a fi re guard for the U.S. Forest Service. During the winter of 1939 Rosalee, Charles and their 10-month-old son Richard came to the family’s” Jack of Diamonds” gold mine west of Quartz- site in the La Paz Mining District where they enjoyed the warm desert sunshine as they placer-mined for gold. Before heading back up to Flagstaff the fol- lowing spring, they stopped for their supply of mesquite honey from Charles R. Mott. Rosalee enjoyed a long visit with Mr. Mott telling him how much she loved the desert and wished they could stay the summer. The 92-year old Mott told them his home and busi- ness was for sale and that he would stay on to teach them the bee business. They stayed and formed the Arizona Desert Honey Company becoming lifetime members of the Arizona Beekeepers As- sociation. Rosalee loved to learn and encouraged her chil- dren to be good students, surrounding them with books of learning in her home library. She set the example of continuing her education through- out her life by enrolling in night classes at Palo Verde Junior college in Blythe. At 87 she enrolled in a “Writing Your Mem- oir” class at the Clovis Adult School in Clovis, California where she had gone to live with her daughter Patty until a sewer line and lift station could be in- stalled to her Quartzsite home. Rosalee served on the District 4 The ultimate in RV sunscreens that installs in seconds! Magne Shade TIRE COVERS! Same location as last year.........Space 31 Rice Ranch.........Facing Kuehn Q SPECIAL! FREE Wiper Covers with Purchase of a Windshield Shade! Maryanne: 602-908-4372 Ken: 602-908-7901 School Board and in 1953 worked with Sam and E.V. Haydis and Joe and Nellie Bush among others to estab- lish Salome High School. Under the direction of the Yuma County School Superintendent, Gwyneth Hamm, Ro- salee home-taught her children at the family’s Santa Maria cabin with Mrs. Hamm administering the year-end test and signed their report cards pro- moting them to the next grade. Rosalee was a founding member of the Fort Tyson Women’s Club and the Quartzsite Improvement Associa- tion (QIA) while serving as the deputy Yuma County Assessor in Quartz- site. With Mildred Cowell, Rosalee served as a leader of the Hi Jolly 4-H Club taking the children on trips to the Yuma County and Arizona State Fairs, served as a counselor at Arizo- na State 4-H Round-Ups in Tucson, and with the premium money earned at the county fairs took the 4-Hers to P��� 3 the San Diego Zoo and in 1955 to the opening of Disneyland. With her good friend and neighbor, Madeline Young, she was appointed as co-executor of the estate of Judge Hart to fulfi ll his wishes to bring joy to the children of Quartzsite by selecting a bounty of playground equipment for the school yard and laying a concrete skating rink next to the Fort Tyson Women’s Club building. See Rosalee Page 16 Palm Plaza Laundromat 5am - 9 (last load) pm (next to the bank) CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN R/O Water and CAR VAC LAPTOP CLEANING AND OPTIMIZING “If I can’t fi x it...you don’t pay!” Virus and Malware removal, plus protection and optimization. Keep your system clean and protected. Optimization allows more system effi ciency and speed. Call for appt. & rates today! Have fi ve cleanings get the sixth for free! Send a friend get $5.00 dollars cash or credit. Randall Strong • 928- 927-9139 www.LaptopCleanandOptimized.com WATCHES BATTERIES BLACK HILLS GOLD SAME LOCATION! Tyson Wells space #11 AVIS & DICK CASSEM 602-390-1613 CRAFTS & YARN NOW OPEN! Same Location! Lots of New Yarn! We’re looking forward to seeing all our friends and customers! Tyson Wells Space #11 • Wool Sock Arlene & Dale 605-390-6379 Everyday Low Prices! NEW!