The family of Don and Maxine Rose would like to invite you to a day of remembering on Monday, August 20, 2018. Mom and Dad will be interred together at the Brandon Cemetery at 10:00 a.m., with a reception following at First Presbyterian Church, 339 12th Street, at 11:00 a.m. All are more than welcome to come out to the Cemetery to say a final farewell. Just look for the bright yellow 1951 Chevy "Rosie", of which Mom and Dad were very proud.


On Friday. February 9th, we lost Gwelda Maxine Rose due to a freak accident.On the previous Wednesday night she was getting up from her chair, lost her balance, fell over backwards and hit her head. She lost consciousness about an hour later, passing away peacefully early Friday morning, aged 91.

Maxine was born on January 23rd, 1927, in Brandon, where she resided all her life. She was the eldest of six children born to Harold and Elsie Cripps. From what we know, life was tough, but happy.

On April 14th, 1949, Maxine married the "love of her life", Don Rose, and they had two sons, Rob and Ken. Max was a stay at home Mom for a few years and had a few short term jobs through the years, but the one she liked the best was at the Brandon General Hospital from 1970 until 1987, when she retired.

Mom was not an idle person, and made friends easily. She got involved with many things, such as singing with the Schubert Choir, and the choir at the First Presbyterian Church for many years. She also edited the church newsletter "Serve and Tell" for 15 years, while submitting her own column "Rosie's Ramblings".

Also, she was a charter member of the Brandon/Westman Ostomy Association, editing the newsletter "The Oztummy" for 25 years. Other activities and interests included, knitting, clogging, golfing, painting, baking and being a member of the Lion L's.

Max loved her many friends and they all got those personalized cards filled with her one of a kind poetry.
Mom wasn't shy about trying out "new stuff". She learned how to play chess with Rob and Ken, enjoyed going to many car events in her and Dad's 1951 Chevy Sedan Delivery, "Rosie". Heck, she even listened to, and liked, a bit of Frank Zappa's music, as well as getting out to a few Thursday night "sessions" with the Strokers Car Club. Many good times were had by the family over the years, with many, many happy summers at the cabin in the Old Campground at Clear Lake. The travel bug got them to places like Scotland, Cuba, the east coast, and a few winters in Victoria. They put a few miles on "Rosie" over the years as well, getting to such places as Montana, the Black Hills, and "Back to the Fifties" in Minneapolis. Great friends, good times, great memories!

Our family lost Dad in March of 2017, and we all missed him terribly, but none more than Mom. Dad passed away just a few weeks before they would have celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary.

Maxine is survived by her sons Rob (Barb), Ken (Susan); grandchildren Arthur (Leslie), Elizabeth (Jordan) Koch; great-grandchildren Isabelle and Charlotte; one sister, Lorraine Smykalski, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her soul mate Don, and siblings Joyce Shurb, Donald, George, and Bruce Cripps. At a later date Maxine and Don's ashes will be interred at the Brandon Cemetery, after one final ride in "Rosie", together.

We will do our best to pick a nice summer, wine drinkin' kinda' day.
A memorial will follow. We will keep you posted.

It's too bad things happened when they did.... Mom's 38th birthday was just around the corner. S! B! D!...... B! D! S!

On a side note (Rob here), I cannot begin to explain the support that was out there for my Mom, and all the other people like her in this city. There are so many people to thank and acknowledge, ranging from the people involved with Homecare, and the people at Victoria Landing, to the doctors and nurses in the healthcare system, and her neighbors and friends. My hat is off to the people who helped me with Mom's medications, and especially those people, those wonderful people, in the palliative care unit at the Assiniboine Centre.
Thank you to all of you.......

Please consider making a donation in Maxine's memory to The Kidney Foundation of Canada, P.O. Box 20077, Brandon South Post Office, Brandon, MB R7A 6Y8, or Ostomy Canada Society, 5800 Ambler Drive, Suite 210, Mississauga, ON L4W 4J4, or any charity of your choice.
Just make sure you are enjoying a glass of wine while you make out your cheque(s).