Celebration of Life— Rosemarie (Kolarik) Anderson age 90, passed away December 13, 2023 at her home in Kentucky with her son Lud, and daughter Lori-Ann in attendance.
Rosemarie was born June 4,1933 at the Kolarik family farm in Gills Pier, MI. Her parents Lud and Marie Kolarik, her brothers Leo Kolarik and Elmer Kolarik, son Fulton James Alpers, best friend for over 70 years Deloris Freundl, and her husband Sherwood Anderson all preceded her in death.
Rosemarie was a loving caring mother of her 6 children. Paula (Don) Lewis, Angela (Frank) Alfonso, Larry (Gail) Alpers, Fulton Alpers (deceased), Lori-Ann (Tim) James and Lud Alpers. A loving wife to Sherwood Anderson. Grandmother to 10, and Great-Grandmother to 14.
Her family, and especially her children, came first. As soon as she got the call that a new grandchild was on the way she hit the road to help take care of her baby and her grandchildren.
Her hobbies included sewing and baking. She would sew six new outfits for each child every year for vacations to come to Michigan to see her parents. She sewed wedding dresses for her daughters, and costumes for ‘All Saints Day’ and Halloween. She made stuffed animals, cabbage patch dolls, and so many Christmas presents with “Made by Grandmama with love” sewed into the gift. She always had projects going and was a proud member of The Red Hats Club and the Sew-n-Sews.
She was always ready and always prepared. Whenever company showed up, she had dinner on the table within the hour. The smell of fresh baked bread and cinnamon rolls always brought the neighbors in to help her eat it. Her gracious attitude and straight posture led to her being called Queenie by her neighbors in her 30’s.
She was the ultimate homemaker.
Rosemarie was ‘flipping’ houses before the internet had a name for it. She fixed up, lived in, and sold over twenty-five homes before she retired. She was creative, artistic, and a designer. She could turn any house into a home.
She started traveling in her 60’s. She drove with her granddaughter from Michigan to Seattle Washington, she cruised to Alaska, and rode in a helicopter over glaciers. She then drove down the western seaboard through California, then to Arizona, Texas, and all the way to Florida by herself. She cruised the Caribbean, explored Europe, Hawaii, Australia and Egypt. She saw the World, and in her own words she “enjoyed every minute of it”.
Rosemarie embraced life to the fullest, and now her family will celebrate it.
Her memorial service will be held June 15, 2024 at St. Wenceslaus Church in Gills Pier, Michigan. The mass will be at 11:00, with a dinner immediately following. The family asks for no flowers as she always said “Give them to me now, I can’t smell them when I’m gone.” Her biggest wish was that everyone travel and enjoy life to the fullest.
