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My own life and my opinions are shared at When I was 69.

REMEMBER: In North America, the month of September 1752 was exceptionally short, skipping 11 days, when the Gregorian Calendar was adapted from the old Julian one, which didn't have leap year days.

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Rosemary Beddingfield, a lifelong good friend

Yesterday I lost a dear old friend.  We went through school together from about 7th grade till 12th grade, with her maybe being in another school one year of that time.

I was the bridesmaid for her wedding, while our other friend, Diane, was her maid of honor.  That was her first wedding.  Back in 1962 or 3, I think.  She then moved with her husband to Alaska, where she gave birth to her 2 sons.

A couple of years ago Diane (left) met Rosie in Washington State for a visit
Many years later she had divorced and remarried George, and they raised the boys in New Mexico I think, then Washington State (or maybe the other way around).  This is the part of her life when I wasn't in touch with her.  They moved to where George was originally from, North Carolina, and about that time I found her on the internet.

George and Rosemary Beddingfield

So from 2000 until a month ago, we wrote each other emails daily, with only a few times without emailing, and often writing several times a day.


When she was hospitalized, I suddenly had no one to talk with...except friends who I've made in the last 10 years or so.  Rosie knew ALL my secrets, after all!  I finally started sending her a card in the hospital everyday, but too late apparently.


I wish I could find the high school photos that I know I used to have, somewhere in all my digital folders.  I'll keep looking for them!

I visited Rosie and George when they lived in North Carolina before I retired, and then they helped me find my first apartment here ten years ago.





 She's wearing the witches hat which I gave her, Halloween 2014.

Rosie and George moved to Tacoma WA to be closer to her sons about 8 years ago.  Her battle with cancer started about 7 years ago.

A friend and Rosie wished George a happy birthday last year.  This year she was hospitalized when his birthday came around.  She would cheer everyone around her, and had such a positive attitude that she would be going home.  She survived the cancer and the treatments in that way.

 Last year (2017) Halloween party, she was a little devil.

Her Facebook profile, very blurry

Huginn and Munnin, Norse ravens on pendant.
 Rosie had a crow or raven as her totem animal.  I know her spirit is now flying with the crows.  Free of the cancer and the drugs, at last.


But my home is full of things she gave me, and my heart is torn from the wound of her death.  I know our love, and that of her family and friends, and especially her cats, will continue.  It's just a shock to have an empty space that is Rosie shaped in my physical universe.


Updated March 4, 12:15 pm


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6 comments:

  1. evaimgartenMarch 4, 2018 at 10:53 AM

    oh how it hurts, such a longtime companion friendship broken by death. I wish you that all remenbrance gives you comfort, a hearts frienship does not end, when one is gone. (excuse my bad school-english) I'm very sorry for you. Eva

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    1. Barbara RogersMarch 5, 2018 at 6:05 PM

      Thank you. I am also transcribing our emails...which is sort of poignant, but geese, we sure did just talk about everything under the sun!

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  2. TrishMarch 4, 2018 at 5:06 PM

    What a beautiful tribute to a dear lifelong friend. May all your memories bring you comfort and help to heal the void left behind. I am so sorry for your loss. Pat

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    1. Barbara RogersMarch 5, 2018 at 6:07 PM

      Thank you Pat. Rosie and my other high school friend, Jinni, were my Prin Sisters...we became closer in our later years through emails. Prin was the school we attended. Friendships sometimes are as close as relatives....or more so.

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  3. jgmDecember 1, 2019 at 1:17 PM

    Hi Barbara, I stumbled across your page and am glad to see the pictures. Rosemary began writing me via snail mail while I was in Saudi Arabia for Desert Storm. We wrote each other infrequently at first until we were back on email; then we wrote each other almost every day. I finally was able to visit Rosemary and George in Puyallup. The visits were so nice. I was fortunate to have one last encounter with her when I drove George and Rosemary to the big Portland bookstore. Rosemary was struggling but very happy to finally see the store. I keep in touch with George now - we call each other about once a month. I have more pictures if you would like more. I think you can contact me through the jgm Google link. Thanks again for sharing - James

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    1. Barbara RogersDecember 1, 2019 at 1:35 PM

      How great to hear from you, James, as a friend who I heard about when Rosie talked about you. I'm really glad that you went to visit her in WA. But I can't find your gmail account to email you. I'm blackmtnbarb at gmail, in case you'd like to contact me.

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Looking forward to hearing from you! If you leave your email then others with similar family trees can contact you. Just commenting falls into the blogger dark hole; I'll gladly publish what you say just don't expect responses.

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