RosaLee W. Olesen, 89

RosaLee “Rosie” White Olesen, 89, passed away in Whitefish on Aug. 17. She was born in Fresno, California, March 11, 1928, the seventh of eight children born to Gladys Radabah and Bertty Lee White.

In 1946, Rosie moved to the Flathead. She married Owen Olesen in 1951; they lived on Hughes Bay, Flathead Lake, for 30-plus years and separated in 1983 but never divorced.

Rosie was never idle. A Facebook post by friends paints a true portrait: “Rosie came to Kalispell Parks and Recreation in 2002, first to join our senior hiking program and soon as a dedicated volunteer. Her impact was felt in many ways. She made countless phone calls and copies, ran errands, kept a reader board outside our office, handled recyclables, prepared equipment and handed out T-shirts to program participants, ran the clock and down marker at football games, and disbursed brochures. The most visible impact Rosie had was cleaning up garbage in our city parks. With a luggage carrier converted to a rolling Dumpster in one hand and a set of tongs in the other, she daily, tirelessly picked up other folks’ trash. Rosie improved our community, cheerfully tackling daunting tasks with a smile. In 2011, Rosie was given the Serve Montana Award through the Governor’s Office of Community Service for dedication to serving our community. Her spirit was so strong we often kept jobs from her so she would not sacrifice personal recreation. Glacier Park was Rosie’s real home, and Rangers will attest to this. She made visits in every season to hear the Rangers’ talks, hike or snowshoe, and glory in the wonder of Glacier.

We will celebrate Rosie’s life at Central Christian Church, 240 Second Ave. E. in Kalispell at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16. Join us and “...hear the rest of the story.”