70th anniversary: Gene and Shirley Rosecrans
Jun. 26—Gene and Shirley Rosecrans will celebrate their 70th anniversary Monday, June 27, 2022. They plan a weeklong celebration at The Hermitage with people dropping in at different times.
Gene and Shirley met each other at a mutual friend's home in Tulelake, California. They were married a few months later, June 27, 1952, at Willow Springs School in rural Central Point. They celebrated their 25th anniversary by remarrying at the same school. Their children sent them to Hawaii for the 50th anniversary, when they again reaffirmed their vows. They were honored at the luau for being the longest married couple at the event.
Gene was born on the family farm in 1933, the sixth of seven children. He retired the first time at 50 years old after 32 years with the regional phone company. Some of his favorite activities include fishing, hunting (gun and bow), camping, hiking and riding motorcycles in hill-climb and cross-country competitions. He served as a deacon at the Assembly of God Church in Gold Hill.
Shirley was born the seventh of 10 children in 1935 in southern Missouri. During the depression years her family moved to northern California. She worked in retail before retiring to focus on raising their children. She is a creative and talented artist, who paints, makes award-winning original quilts and writes stories. She had a few articles published in the local paper. She enjoys genealogical research, riding her own motorcycle, camping, fishing and hiking. She taught Sunday school at the Assembly of God Church in Gold Hill.
Gene and Shirley still reside at The Hermitage, which Gene built 68 years ago.
They are enjoying life together after raising their five children (Sharon, Doris, Rita, Sandi, Phil). They also have nine grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren with another on the way!
