Rose Mary Johnson

Rose Mary Johnson, 85, is survived by two sisters, Delores Walsh of St. Louis, Mo., and Lela Segelhorst of Boulder, Co., two daughters, Karen Carpenter and Cynthia Etheridge of Zillah, Wash., three sons, Dr. Henry W. Gronski of Richland, Wash., John Gronski of Kennewick, Wash., and Douglas Gronski of Bluff City, Tenn., 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Rose moved from Missouri to the Northwest and settled first in Coulee Dam where her husband, Henry W. Gronski worked during the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam. The family later resided in Soap Lake, Wash., while their children were in school, later moved to Everett, then to Moses Lake. Rose worked as a key punch operator at Larson Air Force Base, for the federal government in Mukilteo, Wash., the Moses Lake School District, and later retired from an accounting firm in Moses Lake. After the death of her husband of 32 years, Rose married Glynn Johnson. For many years, Rose was active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, was a sorority sister, and spent her free time knitting, sewing, and doing crafts for all of her family. She was an excellent cook, baker, and inveterate letter writer. She loved her family, her pets, Lawrence Welk, and all the big band music of the 1940s.

Rose was widowed after 28 years, living at the time in Ephrata. She soon after moved to Zillah with her daughters. Rose Mary died Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008.

Graveside service will be at Pioneer Cemetery in Moses Lake, at 1 p.m. on Friday March 7.