Rosella Jane Sauer was born May 11, 1930, to Adam and Lizzie Sauer in the house she would grow up in 4 miles southwest of Weatherford. Many have asked over the years how she got her somewhat unusual first name. "My mother had two young girls hired to do housework and tend to the newborn," she wrote in her book of memoirs. "Their names were Rose and Ella."  She died Monday, Dec. 13, at Weatherford Regional Hospital after a weeklong hospitalization resulting from pneumonia and congestive heart failure.

Rosella grew up with five older brothers, an older sister and a younger sister, Irene, the latter with whom she enjoyed a special relationship throughout life, primarily because they were the youngest kids in the family and just two years apart. For amusement, she and Irene would often play church and on occasion coerce their youngest brother Joe to "preach" to them.

"Joe would stand on the bottom of the stairway, and Irene and I sat on the steps," she wrote. "We had our dolls dressed up and wrapped in blankets. We would sing a song, and have a verse of scripture. We didn't hear much of the sermon. We would have to get up and take the babies out and change their diaper. We each had a doll that could drink a tiny bottle of water, and of course it drained into the diaper. We would get back in church for the closing song. We had our own entertainment."

Rosella attended Friesen rural school southwest of Weatherford her first eight years, then Weatherford Public Schools through high-school graduation. She and her family moved into town her sophomore year. She played clarinet in the band and graduated with the WHS class of '48. One of her classmates was future space hero Thomas P. Stafford.

On May 15, 1949, Rosella married Eldon Adler at Zion Congregational Church southwest of Weatherford in the church they both attended from birth. They then lived in the house where Eldon grew up, three miles due north of Corn. There they farmed and lived six years until moving to town.

The Adlers welcomed a son, Larry Paul, in 1955. A year or so later, Rosella began her working career at Owl Photo, a place she worked for 31 years as primarily a printer and checker. She especially enjoyed doing hand-painted oil-color enlargements. She would bring the photos home at night and paint and retouch them.

After retirement in 1987, Rosella worked as a housewife and wonderful grandmother to Justin, Derek and Taylor. She was one of the world's best cooks (she won several local and area cooking contests), always kept an immaculate house, and made sure the outsides of the house, including windows, met up with her approval.

She loved her grandkids to pieces. In later years, she was the same way with great-grandkids Hudson, Merritt, Jackson and Henry, even though they lived far away.

A committed Christian, Rosella served in many capacities at Zion Church (now CrossPointe). She played piano and organ for many decades as a hymn accompanist. She taught Sunday school, sponsored in youth group, and taught vacation Bible school, in addition to all the funeral and all-church meals for which she cooked and served. She also helped with the quilting circle for several years at Pioneer Center.

Rosella is survived by her son, Larry Adler of Weatherford; two grandsons and their wives, Justin and Brooke Adler, and Derek and Brittney Adler, all of Charlotte, N.C.; one granddaughter, Taylor Adler of Weatherford; four great-grandsons, Hudson (almost age 9), Merritt (6), Jackson (4) and Henry Adler (almost 2); one sister, Irene Adler of Weatherford; and several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by husband Eldon in 2015; her parents; five brothers, Arnold, Dan, Paul, Walter and Joe Sauer; and a sister, Elfreda Murphy.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Stafford Space Museum or Weatherford Regional Hospital. The family thanks Dr. Brian Bluth, Dr. Michael Aaron, and the entire nursing and custodial staff at WRH for their dedicated care.

1 Corinthians 15:51b-52: "We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed —  in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, (and) the dead will be raised imperishable …"