Ode to an Older Time: Marvin Rose

Rose said his family moved from Rice when he was young, going to Pleasant Valley for school until moving to Colville in the seventh grade. He said he started working for a dairy farm at age 14, and worked from then until he was drafted. His favorite subject in school was math, where his home room teacher got him into it, and he used to eat lunch with her every day. Rose said his youngest brother got measles and was in and out of the hospital one summer; once winter hit, his brother got pneumonia and passed away. Just 28 days later, his baby sister went to sleep for her afternoon nap and never woke up, passing away from what was later called SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Rose said he attended Colville High School, but before he could graduate, he was drafted into the Navy in World War ll, serving for two years. He met his wife, Sally Rose, in New York, on a blind date, and said they were married for 67 years. When he came back to Stevens County, he worked as a meat cutter for a meat locker in Kettle Falls from the years 1946-1971. He had three kids, Roberta Willey, Barbara Collier, and Bob Rose. He said one of his favorite memories is taking his family to Kamloops Island in Kettle Falls, to camp all the time in the summer. 

Rose said he has also worked as a truck driver for a feed store in Kettle Falls, a school bus driver, and as the head of maintenance for Kettle Falls School District. He said he bought 8.8 acres in 1969, and started living there. He retired in 1987 and focused on taking care of his fields. He said he had a team of four horses that plowed his field. Rose noted that he used to dress up as Santa Claus during Christmas and visit people's houses in his horse and carriage. He would pick up gifts left by parents and bring them to the door. Rose said his favorite memory as Santa Claus occurred when he gave one boy presents, and the boy asked him, “Why do you have Mr. Rose’s horses?” Rose said he laughed, and told the boy his sleigh “broke down” and he had to borrow the horses. When asked if he had any regrets, he said he's “happy with what's been. It's unbelievable that I’ll be 100 soon.” Rose’s daughter, Barbara, said “he's a very loving and supportive father; I always felt cherished.” When asked for a piece of advice for the younger generation, Rose said, “Find a job that you like, and you'll never work a day in your life.” He said he enjoys reading his daily devotions, reminiscing, and just spending time with people important to him.