Dear Rozelle,

Today we remember you and the life you created. It is a day of mourning and celebration, one we never wanted to come. But since you are not here to tell your story, I will try – let’s hope I remember like you could.

You were born Opal Rozelle Medford, the second daughter of Elner and Eula of Brinkley, Arkansas. One of thirteen children, you became an aunt to more people than most could count and somehow remembered everyone of them.

You met Bruce in 1952 when he and his younger brother started showing up at your family dinner table. What’s two more, your dad would say. Finally, in 1958, after six years of waiting, you married him and built a life together that lasted 66 years.

Your faith was not something you spoke about, but something you lived. For 65 years at Zion Lutheran Church, as a founding member of the altar guild and through your work with the Lutheran Church Extension Fund, you showed up again and again for others.

You never met a stranger. You loved to talk and could learn everything about someone before they even knew your name. And somehow, you remembered it all. Your face said everything, a raised brow, a side eye, a look that could make you laugh or think twice. You saw everything, but more importantly, you saw everyone.

You brought your own kind of laughter, sass, and joy to everything.

To me and my sisters, you were everything. Our mother, our grandmother, our best friend, our safe place. I will miss the quiet looks across a room, the long conversations, listening to the stories of your life, the successes and fails of new recipes, and the way you made every moment feel full.

Thank you for showing us how to love, how to show up, and how to be fully ourselves.

I will miss you forever, Rozzy, and I promise to always keep a cold Coca-Cola in the fridge.

Rozelle is survived by her siblings, Ulysses (Peggy) Medford, Emma (Jimmy) Kirkpatrick, and Eugene (Donna) Medford, as well as her beloved in-laws, Carroll Martin, Richard Martin, Pat Sanders, and one daughter.

She also leaves behind a large and loving extended family of nieces and nephews, each of whom she held close. Most importantly, for her, she is survived by her “girls” and their partners, Farron (Josh), Jordan (Danny), and Tommie (Seth),and her real favorites – her great-grandchildren, Beckett (Farron), Cash and Rosie (Jordan), and Ellison (Tommie).

Cremation arrangements by A Natural State Funeral Service 2620 West Main Street, Jacksonville, Arkansas 72076. 501-982-3400. Online guestbook available at www.anaturalstatefuneralservice.com