Rose Marie Christison

Rose Marie Christison, 89, passed away June 7, 2018, in Denver, Colorado. She was born on August 8, 1928, in Arapahoe, Cheyenne County, Colorado to Wilfred Henry McMillen and Anna Marie Heryford. She graduated as valedictorian from Cheyenne Wells High School in 1946. She attended the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Colorado State College of Education in Greeley (now UNC).

During her summer break in 1946, Rose Marie was approached by the Cheyenne County School Board and was asked to teach in the elementary school. The School Board awarded her a ""Dire Emergency Teaching Certificate"", and she taught her first class of 23 third-graders when she was only 19 years old.

Rose Marie moved to Denver in 1949. After she divorced her first husband, Wallace Melton, she worked at the Hudson Automobile Distributor in Denver as a Dealer liaison from 1949 to 1951. She then took a job at the Denver Hudson Dealership in 1952, where she worked until she married Robert Lee Christison on October 16, 1953. To this union were born her son, Robert Kirk Christison, and her daughter, Sara Lee Christison.

After divorcing her second husband in 1966, Rose Marie re-entered the work force as a property manager for Windsor Gardens in Aurora. In 1968, she was hired by The Chrysler Corporation as a Regional Secretary. She worked her way up through many positions. Office Administrator, Benefits Representative, Payroll Administrator, and finally Human Resources, retiring in June of 1999 at the age of 70 after thirty-one years.

Rosie Marie discovered the Art of Silver Working in 1976 when she took an Adult Education Class in jewelry making at Hinckley High School in Aurora, Colorado. She went on to teach the same class for several years at Hinckley High until the class was discontinued. Rose Marie taught guest artist seminars in jewelry making and Channel Inlay at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico. She later became a member of the Rocky Mountain Beading Society. When she moved to her present house in Denver in 1999 she converted her two-car garage into a teaching workshop and began to seriously expand her business called Rosies’Riginals where she created her own original pieces and continued to teach Jewelry crafts until her death.

Rose Marie was a Colorado Native, a Teacher, a Ski Instructor, a Silversmith, an Artist, and an avid cook. She also enjoyed gardening and was an accomplished seamstress.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Bill; her half-brother, James McMillen; her half-sister, Dorothy (McMillen) Eldridge; and an infant daughter.

Rose Marie is survived by her son Bob Christison and his wife Karen Powell (Boulder); daughter Sara Rino and her husband Frank (Denver); stepson James Christison (California); granddaughter Christina Smith and her husband Tim (Minnesota); granddaughter Katie Sue Powell Christison (Boulder); niece Kelle (McMillen) Snyder and her husband Tim (Oregon); niece Jennifer (McMillen) Doble and her husband David (Oregon); nephew Tommy McMillen and his wife Rosemary (Washington); niece Patti (McMillen) Dirstine and her husband Roger (Massachusetts); and numerous other lovely nieces, nephews, and cousins. She also leaves behind three exceptional caregivers, Gail Henk, Peggy Leos, and Christina Aragon, and a great many students and friends.

A memorial service is scheduled for Wednesday, August 8, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at the Horan & McConaty Chapel located at 3101 South Wadsworth Boulevard, Lakewood, Colorado. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her name to the Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico, or to a charity of your choice.