Tarkio lost a wonderful resident this past week – a pioneer for women in the workplace and one with a heart of gold. Rosalie Woodring was the deputy clerk and city clerk for 30 years and worked alongside Hazel Buckley trying to keep my Police Chief dad and the other City Hall workers in line. Later, she became the first and only (so far) female Tarkio Mayor, a job she held for eight years and one she took great pride in. During her mayorship, she was even able to present Brewer & Shipley (Tarkio Road and Mighty Quinn singer/songwriters) with keys to Tarkio.
My sister, Amy, and I were an “added addition” to the daily life and goings-on at City Hall as we lived in the upstairs apartment in City Hall for several years as children. My sister remembers spending years walking up and down those stairs thousands of times to visit with Rosie and eating lunch or snacks with our dad, Hazel, Rosie, and Chuck Sheppard (a Tarkio Mayor at the time). During high school, Amy worked a summer or two with Rosie and Hazel and helped as collector and dispatcher. Rosie took Amy under her wing and enjoyed sharing stories on our dad, hollering at our dad, etc. Seeing and visiting with Rosie on several occasions over the years, we always knew she was one who would do anything for anyone.
One such occasion that meant the world to me personally occurred this past spring, when she adopted the last Cat Ranch cat needing a home, one who had lived her entire life in a cage (the shelter owner had died from cancer and all the animals had to find homes quickly). Even though Rosie herself was allergic to cats, she took that extremely ornery, but very loving cat into her heart and home. A few weeks after she adopted her, she called me up just gushing about how wonderful Goldie the cat was and how she was so glad she had taken her in. She invited me over to visit the cat anytime I wanted. I regret not having taken her up on her offer, not because of the cat (I knew she was just peachy with her new home), but for having missed out on getting to know a special woman even more. Rosie was one all her family, friends, and acquaintances enjoyed knowing. She was hilarious, and joyful, and truly went out of her way for all. She treated neighbor children as her own, inviting them to sit on her porch with her after a hard school day, offering a listening ear and snacks, and inviting their parents to come over for a chat while she worked in her garden. Though, according to one woman, one particular day she didn’t stick around for long after Rosie introduced her to her pet garden snake. Rosie was truly one-of-a-kind.
In perfect Rosie fashion (she was a member of the Allen-Schiffern American Legion Auxiliary and dedicated many years and hours upon hours of service to the unit), her funeral was held on Veterans Day, a day that meant a lot to her. In her honor, the City of Tarkio asked all business merchants and residents to lower their American flags to half-staff.
The City Hall gang is now reunited as my dad, Hazel, Rosie, and other mayors are sitting around the conference table of Heaven reminiscing about the craziness and the good ol’ days of small town living. And though Rosie is now gone, her memory, heart, and civic-mindedness continues on with her family members, who also continually prove that there are still strong and yet caring people in this world who go the extra mile to make this world a better place. It IS a better place for having had Rosie in it.
Megan McAdams