Obituary of Pauline Shafer Rosenmerkel

Pauline Shafer Rosenmerkel, a lifelong resident of Marion County who epitomized the “Friendly City” where she lived, passed away September 12, 2016, after 99 years of remarkable living. Born Sara Pauline Shafer (she never liked nor used her first name) on May 2, 1917, at the family home in Fairmont, she was the youngest child of Purl and Bessie Pople Shafer. She grew up as a proud East Sider, attending East Park School, East Fairmont High School and Fairmont Business College. In 1933, she married Russell Gross and they had four children: Terrence (who died as an infant), Judy, Linda and Richard. She raised her family as a single mother while working as the secretary in Industrial Engineering at Owens-Illinois Glass Plant; she retired from the Owens in 1973 but remained active in the Owenette club, bowling leagues, the senior citizen travel club and other groups of friends from the plant. In 1958, she married her dear love Richard “Dick” Rosenmerkel and they spent happy years together working, traveling, bowling and playing golf and visiting and hosting family and friends until his death in 1977 at the home they had built in White Hall. She was also preceded in death by her parents, brother Pete Shafer and sisters Edna Talley and Thelma Grewe; infant grandchildren Chad and Marla Gross; son-in-law Ned Poe and daughter-in-law Gail Easterly Gross; and nephews Ron and Jack Shafer and Donnie Talley. Pauline’s legacy is her children, who were her favorite people in all the world: Judy Poe of Monumental; Linda Hays of Tuscon, Ariz.; Richard and wife Kathy Gross of Middleburg, Fla.; seven grandchildren who considered her their closest friend, supporter and confidant: Shelly Poe of Auburn, Ala.; Brenda Hays of Tuscon, Ariz.; Shawn Gross of Atlanta, Ga.; Sandie Holmes of Kenai, Alaska; Jill Poe of Charleston, S.C.; Michael Hays of Rasio, Finland; and Teresa Gross of Middleburg, Fla.; and great-grandchildren Jessica Hays, Tye Honrud, Ryan Holmes, Melissa Holmes, Zoe Gross and Lily Hays. “Peanut” is also survived by many nieces and nephews who were both family and friends: traveling companion and loyal sidekick Annette Talley of Fairmont; Shirley Grewe of Jane Lew; Georgeann Grewe of Fairmont; Jean Rexroad of Leesburg, Va.; Margo Hoffman of Sevierville, Tenn.; George Shafer of Tuscon, Ariz.; Steven Talley of Tacoma, Wash.; and Bill Shafer of Willets, Calif. She taught her family the qualities of independence, stubborn perseverance, terrific ironing skills, faith in God and family, how to bake a great cookie, love of travel and conversation, a sense of fashion, unique rules for card games, exuberant behavior at sporting events and paying back anything given to you. All of them share her love for getting fully involved in life’s adventures and a good dessert, but none ever matched her fear of thunderstorms, her collection of shoes, her ability to get a book’s worth of writing on a postcard, her elaborate tailgate parties, her appearances on photo greeting cards or her speed in picking up a dinner check. She had wonderful neighbors all her life on the East Side, in Mt. Harmony, in White Hall, on Pinch Gut Hollow and in Monumental. She also considered to be family the ladies she played bridge with weekly over 45 years, her friends from the Owens, the ladies from the beauty shop, all the members of Christ/Gateway United Methodist Church, and the many friends she made among the people living and working at St. Barbara’s Home in Monongah. Although she loved her flower garden, she asked to be remembered through donations to Gateway United Methodist Church (301 Diamond St., Fairmont, WV 26554), or to the Activity Fund at St. Barbara’s Home (PO Box 9066, Monongah, WV 26555) where she received such excellent and loving care. Visitation will be Thursday from 2p.m. until 8p.m. and Friday from 10a.m. until 11a.m. at Ford Funeral Home, Ford Chapel, 201 Columbia St., Fairmont, WV 26554. The funeral will be held in the funeral home on Friday at 11a.m. with Pastor Tim Edin officiating. Interment will follow at the Pisgah Cemetery in Monongalia County. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.FORDFUNERALHOMES.com.