Doris "Bubbles" Rossiter

So much can happen in a single day... you can touch someone's life in a way you may never know. Doris Rossiter touched many lives during her 73 years on this earth, with no thoughts to her own needs. A very private yet strong lady, family meant everything to her. Not an overly demonstrative person, Doris never sought attention for herself, but rather concerned herself with the well being of others. A woman who loved tending her beautiful flower gardens, spending time with her five grandchildren, and creating loving memories with her husband, Doris was both blessed by and a blessing to those she loved. The 1930's found the country deep in the Great Depression, and although 1933 saw the worst, people were still able to enjoy themselves. On January 30, the first of 2,956 episodes of "The Lone Ranger" was heard on the radio, and on March 2, moviegoers oohed and aahed as "King Kong" clung to the Empire State Building . For Gus and Winnefred (Adams) Oslund, life in Twin Lake, Michigan was about to add a few oohs and aahs of its own. On January 27, 1933 Winnefred gave birth to her second child, a baby girl they named Doris . Grandma Adams started calling her "Bubbles" and the name stuck. Gus and Winnefred owned and operated Oslund's Grocery in Twin Lake . It was here that Doris spent her childhood, along with her older sister Norma and younger brother Bing. Doris enjoyed music as a young girl, learning to play the piano and taking dancing lessons. Unfortunately, she contracted scarlet fever and was sent to live with her Grandma Adams so that the other children would not be affected. She was forced to watch through the window as her friends played outside. Once recovered from her ordeal, Doris threw herself into life. She attended Muskegon Public Schools and graduated from Muskegon High School . Summers were spent at "The Cottage" on Middle Lake . She enjoyed all that summer had to offer, swimming, sunning and socializing with her friends. A favorite was going to dances at the Blue Heaven. But Doris was also a hard worker and when not in school, worked at the family store, starting as a young girl and continuing into her 20's. After graduation, Doris went on to Muskegon Business College and also earned an Associates Degree from Christian College in Columbia, Missouri . One day, while a teenager, Doris was sitting in a booth at Dorothy's with some friends, talking and doing a "hand dance". A young man named Bill Rossiter happened to be near by, watching Doris do her stuff. The hand dance didn't impress him very much but the young lady certainly did. Bill and his friend Wayne started spending more and more time with Doris and her friend Dottie. Bill served in the Air Force after graduation and when in the summer his tour was done, he grabbed a six-pack and headed to "The Cottage", presumably to help out, but really to see Doris . She was recuperating from knee surgery, and Bill's "help" was very welcome. This was the start of 49 years of special times together. Bill and Doris were married on October 13, 1956 in Muskegon and moved to Hancock, Michigan where Bill completed his degree at Michigan Tech. During that time their first son was born. Named William F. after his grandfather, he was called Skip. Nicknames are very big in this family. With Bill getting a new job with Buick in Flint , the young couple moved there where Dan and Tim were born. Needing more room, the Rossiters found a house to raise boys on a lake in Lapeer where they stayed until 1977 when they moved to back to Flint (because Ainsworth High School needed a quarterback). They then stayed in the Flint area until Bill's retirement in 1987. The Rossiter home was filled with the sounds and antics of three lively boys - Skip, Dan and Tim. Having been brought up in a prim and proper household, raising three boys in rural Lapeer found Doris with her hands full - sports, animals, hunting and mud! According to Doris , she put up with more cats, dogs, rabbits, chickens, frogs, snakes, and assorted flora and fauna then most back woodsmen. The boys had a dog called Red, which Doris tolerated. Her heart was with her dog, Sissy, who was probably much better mannered than Red. To say that Doris was "just" a homemaker would be an understatement indeed. She considered herself a woman of many careers - English teacher, horticulturist, chauffer, nurse, chef, referee, cheerleader and coach. With three boys in sports, Doris rarely missed one of their games, and there were many to attend. The boys played baseball, football and basketball. When not cheering her sons on, Doris 's favorite pastime was spending time with Bill. They took special trips together, visiting St. Croix and later Alaska . But mostly they both enjoyed working in the yard and had a friendly competition going to see whose side of the lawn looked the best. With the many beautiful flower gardens that she created and maintained, Doris was usually the winner. Her gardens were the envy of many of the neighbors, and Doris took great pride in keeping her gardens weed-free. She hated weeds!! In the early 1980's a fire struck the Rossiter home and Doris and Bill lost many pictures, movies and memories. When Bill retired in 1987, they returned to Muskegon County , living in Twin Lake and then Holton. They spent many winters in Clermont, Florida Although Bill may have been retired, Doris was still going strong. She enjoyed an occasional visit to the casino, win or lose. Of course, winning was always better. Once a month she had lunch with the "Twin Lake Kindergarten Club", where Doris and her friends would catch up on all the latest news. A lifelong learner, she was a lover of words. She honed her vocabulary skills by playing Scrabble, doing crossword puzzles, or just correcting the English of her children, nephews, and grandsons. When grandchildren began arriving, Doris was delighted, especially since one was a grand daughter. Wil, David, Sean, Chad and Erin created some special memories for Grandma Rossiter. Grandsons were often "volunteered" to mow the lawn - more than once if not done right the first time. Not always agreeing with the latest hairstyles, Doris was also known to offer the funds for a hair cut. Remembered by her children for her beautiful gardens, giving good advice - but only when asked, they have sweet memories of their mother sitting on the edge of her garden, a pile of weeds next to her, her hands dark with dirt, asking how everyone was doing. In 2005 Doris began a battle with cancer. In the end, she left on her own terms. The gardens of heaven have welcomed her home. Doris "Bubbles" Rossiter, age 73, died Thursday, February 2, 2006. She is survived by her husband, William; three sons: Skip (Ruth) Rossiter of Grand Haven, MI, Dan (Wendy) Rossiter of Flint, MI, and Tim (Jeri) Rossiter of West Bloomfield, Mi.; five grandchildren: Wil, Erin, David, Sean and Chad; one sister, Norma (Bill) Meszynski of Muskegon, MI and a brother, Gust "Bing" Oslund of Wichita, Kansas. She was preceeded in death by her parents.