Edna "Rosie" (Barger) Smith

Edna Rose “Rosie” Smith (1925 – 2020)

Edna Rose “Rosie” Smith, nee Barger, born in Hamilton, Ohio and lifetime resident of Fairfield, Ohio, passed on from this earth to start her new life on Saturday, March 28, 2020 after a life well-lived.

Edna Rose, known to everyone as “Rosie,” graduated from Hamilton High, after working her way through high school as a roller-skating Car Hop at Jolly’s Root Beer Stand for some extra spending money!

A lifelong resident of Fairfield, Ohio, Rosie was a self-professed “Homebody,” who’s greatest desire was to have a family, and dote on them… She married Marine Veteran, Roy, a “first generation” TV Broadcaster, and “supported” his career by “watching” the Cincinnati Reds games he was working on TV - without any sound - so she could listen to the game on her favorite transistor radio!

Rosie adored being a mother and relished her roles as Girl Scout Leader and Cub Scout Den Mother. She loved going to the Beauty Parlor, watching her “Soapies” (especially her favorite, “Days of Our Lives”) and Square-Dancing with her husband! Roy and the kids loved to go boating, propelling Rosie to conquer her fear of water, to enjoy years of power boating, water skiing, tubing and houseboating with her family at Lake Cumberland, Indian Lake and even the Little Miami River!

Rosie enjoyed a good grilled burger, biscuits ’n gravy, Chicken Scampi and good old pumpkin pie. Though both her mother and mother-in-law were school cafeteria cooks, Rosie never showed the slightest interest in learning to cook – except, of course, for creamed eggs on toast, bologna salad and the occasional beef roast – choosing, instead, to fully embrace the concept of T.V. Dinners and Pot Pie – totally disproving everyone who said it was bad for you, by living to the age of 95! Amazingly, her husband never complained!

A devout Baptist, Rosie was a member of First Baptist Church in Hamilton, and loved her God - her Bible was a testament to that – she read it daily, underlining the passages she considered extra important – which was pretty much the entire Bible!

To say Rosie lived for her family would be an understatement – everything she did was for them. A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister and friend, Rosie will be dearly missed by her two children - both grateful to have had this great lady in their lives – daughter, Bev Wolke, of Fairfield, and son and daughter-in-law Roy “Eddie” and Karen Smith, of Fairfield. She also leaves four grandchildren, Todd, Tonya, Tara and Kristen and seven great-grandchildren. Rosie was preceded in death by her husband, Roy E. Smith, Sr., parents, Della (nee Bishop) and Abner “Ab” Barger, and three brothers: Don (Mary Elizabeth), Robert “Tuney” (Jean) and Kenny, as well as close family friends Harold Lainhart and Betty St. John. She will also be fondly remembered by sisters-in-law, Jean Barger (Tuney) of Naples, Florida and Jeanne Barger (Kenny) of Hamilton, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

Due to current world events and “social distancing” restrictions, a private family service will be held Thursday, April 2, 2020, at Avance Funeral Home and Crematory in Fairfield, Ohio with Dr. Dan Clemens officiating. Burial will take place at Rose Hill Burial Park in Hamilton. Flowers are welcome, or in lieu of, memorials may be made to Hospice of Hamilton at 1010 Eaton Ave., Hamilton, Ohio 45013, and Animal Friends Humane Society at 1820 Princeton Rd., Hamilton, Ohio 45011.

Forever in our hearts, Rosie - “May the smile of God light you to glory!”

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