Carl Rose

Carl Clayton Rose passed away on November 19, 2022, at the age of 96 in Wheat Ridge, Colorado at the Collier Hospice Center.

He was born to Montie and Victoria Rose on October 3, 1926 in Muskegon, Michigan. He was born at the stroke of midnight of daylight savings time, his mother got to choose his date of birth and she chose the 3rd. He was the oldest of 10 kids, 5 boys and 5 girls, Ray, Lillian, Lucille, Mark, Jim, Blanch, Bill, Dorthy and Hazel.

Carl loved to farm. He farmed all of his youth with his Grand Dad. The family being very poor had to raise all of the food themselves. His Grandpa and Grandma Daniels owned 60 acres with chickens, beef and hogs to feed the family. His dad was laid off in the depression and had to go to work for the WPA which was a government program to help people get back to work. They also received gas stamps and sugar stamps during that time. Gas was 19 cents a gallon. During the depression (1929-1934) everyone helped everyone! This is where Carl learned the valuable lessons of hard work, the meaning of a dollar and what it means to be a family.

He started school at 7 years old and stayed in school until the 8th grade. Then he had to help the family with farming. He claimed he was always happier on the farm than in school.

Carl got his first job helping a neighbor pull weeds at 9 years old. When he got his first week of pay he proudly took it home to show his dad. His dad made him pay 10 cents to his mother for doing his laundry. Carl said, helping his family farm until 1941 were the best years of his childhood. That was also the time his family got electricity.

In 1944 he was drafted into World War II. His dad took him in January 1945 to catch a train to Detroit for his Army physical. He was transferred to Texas and then overseas to the Philippine Islands where he served until the end of the war. His pay was $12.00 per month while in the states and $22.00 per month overseas. He was 22 years old.

After the war he came home and married Joanne Maclom in January of 1947 and together they had 6 kids 3 boys and 3 girls from oldest to youngest with spouses; Rick (Margaret) Carl aka Snipe (Pam), Jenny (Gerald), Randy (Debbie), Janis (Jim) and Joyce (Bob). He worked on farms across Michigan and Indiana for several years.

In 1960 he moved his family to Colorado and bought a home in Wheat Ridge where he would raise his family. He worked for Coors porcelain plant and milked cows on his days off and weekends. After 21 years together, he and Joanne divorced. Carl decided to get back to what he loved most and started his own hay business. Clients like the Westerners and other big farms kept him delivering hay from across the Rocky Mountains. He retired from the hay business in 1989 and packed his dog Rascal in his truck and camper and set off for Alaska for 6 weeks. Every October he would go back to Michigan and see his mom, dad and family.

He loved fishing, camping and the outdoors. After he had his fill of traveling, he settled down and took up Polka dancing. It was at the Polka dance he met Margaret and they were together for 22 years! He also took up golf and would dance and play golf many times a week.

After getting sick in June, Carl moved back down to Denver to be closer to his kids and family. He lived in an assisted living apartment, still on his own and independent. To ensure he could go outside he bought himself a scooter and toured the community whenever he could!

He is preceded in death by his youngest daughter Joyce, his grandson Gordy, 3 brothers, 3 sisters, son in law Jim and daughter in law Debbie.

Carl left a legacy to his family about working hard, loving the land and greeting people with a big warm "Howdy". He will always be loved by his 6 children, 18 Grandkids, 30 Great Grandkids and 4 Great Great Grandkids. As a WWII Veteran we are grateful for the freedom he fought to protect and the memories we hold close to our hearts. Carl Clayton Rose- we will miss you.