Mary Franklin Rosen, 99 years, passed away from natural causes April 2, 2020 at Brentwood Memory Care, Rice Lake WI. She had been lovingly cared for at Brentwood for two years. At end of life, the folks from Mayo Hospice augmented care and offered invaluable support to her family.   Mary, daughter of Phoebe (Bump) and Clarence Franklin, was born on the Franklin family dairy farm near Evansville, WI. 

She was blessed to have had six siblings - five brothers (Oliver, Bob, Clarence, Horace and John) and one sister, Ruth (George).  After attending the Franklin one room schoolhouse, Mary boarded in Evansville where she met her High School sweetheart and future husband of 69 years, Donald Rosen. After graduating high school Mary attended Beauty School in Madison then worked in Monroe, WI.

Mary and Don were married September 3, 1942 and moved from WI to the east coast. There, Don worked as a chemist for the DuPont Company in Wilmington, Delaware, where they raised their family, son Randall Franklin Rosen and daughter, Donna (Muffy) Lynn Owens. Mary was a loving mother, devoted wife, superb homemaker, baker, expert seamstress and tailor, and dedicated volunteer with schools and the Lutheran church. Any neighborhood child was delighted to spend the night on Fridays to enjoy Mary’s mouthwatering homemade “sticky” caramel buns made every Saturday morning!

Mary is survived by Randall F. Rosen and wife Charlotte, Muffy and husband Leo Owens, four grandchildren (Tracy Byrne, Megan Imhausen, Marjorie Owens, Leo Owens III), six great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by husband, Donald, and grandson, Randall E. Rosen as well as her siblings.

A graveside memorial will be held at a later date at the Maple Hill Cemetery in Evansville, WI. Appleyard’s Home for Funerals in Rice Lake, WI is in charge of the arrangements.

Last Update: Apr 09, 2020 7:00 am CDT