Obituary: Coletta Jean Rose

As received from Antila Funeral Service:

Coletta Jean Rose, 91, of Houghton, passed away peacefully following a brief illness on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at UP Health System-Portage with family by her side.

Coletta was born in Dollar Bay, Michigan, on December 31, 1929, the eleventh of thirteen children to George and Georgiana (Durand) Rose.

She attended school in Dollar Bay through the eighth grade. She joined the Girl Scouts under Mrs. Eugene Sieler, later becoming assistant leader. She loved playing guitar at Girl Scout parties. In 1943, she played on the girl’s basketball and softball teams.

While living in Dollar Bay, she attended St. Francis Catholic Church where she was baptized, made her First Communion and Confirmation and sang in the church choir.

After her mother moved the family to Houghton, Coletta attended the Houghton High School, graduating in 1948. She played violin in the school orchestra, sang in the school choir and played on the Houghton High School Girls Basketball Team. She was very active in organizing her class reunions.

Upon graduating, her first job was at Andy’s Restaurant in Houghton. She was employed there for 15 years, starting as a waitress, advancing to being a cook, buyer, and eventually bookkeeper. She excelled in her cooking experience there. In 1963, she left the restaurant due to having back surgery. Her next job was at J.C. Penney Company in Houghton, where she worked for 15 years, excelling to office personal supervisor. She continued her work career at the Western U.P. District Health Department as a nurse aide assistant. She worked for a total of 16 years between doing home healthcare and office work, retiring in 1996. This was her most rewarding work making her the happiest girl in the whole USA.

Coletta became self-employed doing foot care for shut-ins from 1996 to 2020. She also sold Studio Girl Cosmetics, Avon Products and from 1985-2019 was a tax preparer.

In 1944, Coletta joined St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church of Houghton. She was a member of the Society of Catholic Women having been vice-president and president over a period of twenty years. She volunteered with education programs, funeral lunches, helped in the church office and was a money counter for many years. She was active in planning the women’s Christmas parties, playing Santa for many years at the party, as well as at the Houghton County Medical Care Facility. Coletta loved her church and volunteered wherever she was needed until 2019.

Coletta enjoyed fishing, tobogganing, skating, swimming, reading, letter writing, music, bird watching and hiking. She liked to cook and bake and was well known for her vegetable gardening, which she still did well into her 90’s. She was proud of her gardens, always willing to share her bountiful harvest with family and friends. For several years, Coletta raised chickens. She cherished them, naming each of them and considered them part of the family.

Coletta loved visiting the elderly and liked to dance the Polka and the Irish Jig. She had a fun, loving personality, loved humming, laughing and had a song for every occasion. She loved birthday parties, always ready for fun and being the “life of the party” for every social event she attended. Last of all, she loved hugging and expressing love to friends and relatives.

Coletta was preceded in death by her parents; five brothers, Douglass, John, Fred, William, and Thomas; seven sisters, Elizabeth, Margaret, Evelyn, Catherine, Eunice, Mary and Patricia.

Surviving are special nieces, Tammy Northway, Linda (Bill) Hill and Tara Agama; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces; grandnephews; great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews and cousins whom she loved dearly; her church family; and many wonderful friends, including, John and Sharon Kirk and family, Jan Weiber, Jean Winquest, Brenda Fontaine and Roger Voldarski, who was like a son to Coletta.

Coletta lived the single life and her faith was her love.

The family would like to thank the staff at UP Health System-Portage for their wonderful, compassionate care given to Coletta; and to Fr. John for his prayers and visits.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 10, 2021, at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church in Houghton, with Fr. John Martignon as celebrant. Visitation will be from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. on Saturday in the church. In keeping with Covid-19 protocol, masks and social distancing will be practiced. For those who are unable to attend, Coletta’s mass will be live streamed. You may contact the church at 482-0212 for instructions or visit the church’s website at stignatiuschurch-houghton.org and join their YouTube page. Burial will be in the Forest Hill Cemetery in the month of May. Memorials may be made to St. Ignatius Loyola Church in memory of Coletta. Arrangements are being handled by the Jukuri-Antila Funeral Home of Hancock, Antila Funeral Service, Inc. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at antilafuneral.com.