Rosa Joan (Dixon-Flaharty) Fritz (Seymour)'s Obituary
Rosa Joan (Dixon-Flaharty) Fritz was born to Clarence and Leora (Ruth) Dixon, on October 7, 1929, in Oak Creek, Colorado, and was raised on the beautiful mountains of Colorado. She grew up fishing and hunting, camping, and being outdoors. Although she grew up in “Ski Town, USA” (Steamboat Springs, Colorado), she was not a skier. She did enjoy snow machines and ice fishing.
After graduating from Steamboat Springs High School in 1947, she married the love of her life, Myrle Clifford ‘Pink’ Flaharty. Rosa thought of him as her ‘one and only’, and together they had a daughter Myrlene. They enjoyed a very active life of outdoor activities with family and friends, and traveled often. Pink and Rosa shared twenty-three happy and blessed years together until his passing on July 13, 1970. In addition to being a dedicated wife, mother, and homemaker, Rosa worked outside the home. Some of her favorite work experiences were as bookkeeper for a natural gas company, and as a laundromat attendant where she really enjoyed getting to know some very interesting characters. Interacting with people allowed her to also enjoy working in banking, a factory setting, cleaning condominiums, and for a time, at a deli. As Rosa’s daughter was growing up, Rosa was a scout leader for her Girl Scout troop. Her experience in the outdoors was something she wanted to share and teach the girls. They did lots of camping, fishing, and hunting for mushrooms and other edible wild foods. Rosa taught them to survive in the wilderness in the summer AND the winter. They learned about their government and journeyed to the state capitol. Other activities included crafts, dancing, helping different charities, and many, many more. She earned quite a reputation. All of the younger girls wanted to be in Rosa’s troop when they were old enough. This reputation earned her a position as a professional Girl Scout. She was hired by the Colorado Girl Scout Council and travelled all around the state. She then travelled around the world as an ambassador and met with other groups of scouts, or the equivalent in other countries. It was an accomplishment of which she and her family were very proud. Rosa married again to the other love in her life, Joel Hughes Fritz, on October 25, 1974, and they moved to Seymour, Missouri. Her husband was a carpenter/handyman and on his jobs, she was his assistant. They always had a cab-over camper or van so they could easily travel, and it was always ready to go AND so were they. They would head out for a trip some place and if they saw a sign for a park or other interesting spot they had not been, they were sure to go and check it out. They travelled extensively in the U.S. and saw places most people would miss. Rosa and Joel always grew a big garden, canned their harvest, and shared with neighbors and friends. They, too, enjoyed an active social and outdoor life with family and friends. Together they shared thirty-one fun and happy years until his passing on March 7, 2005. At the wise age of 91, Rosa departed this life for Heaven on April 12, 2021, in Woodland Manor in Springfield, Missouri. Also preceding her is a brother, Jim Dixon and his wife Mae, sister Johnnie Mae Smith, sister-in-law Adelle Dixon, and her dear son-in-law Robert Morris.
Surviving Rosa is her daughter Myrlene Flaharty of Springfield, Missouri, her brother Tom Dixon of the state of Colorado, and extended family.
Graveside services will be Saturday, April 17, 2021, at 1:00 PM, at Little Creek Cemetery north of Hartville, Missouri.
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