Rose Allen

Rose Marie Allen

August 2, 1932 – February 2, 2024 (91)

Born in Baltimore, Maryland to Alfred Saunders and Rose Shorter, Rose Marie Saunders entered the world as the second of 7 children.  Her childhood was ordinary and she grew up in a loving atmosphere.  Her childhood nickname was Sunshine…Sunny for short.  The funny thing about nicknames is that they become self-fulfilling, and my mother spread sunshine wherever she went.  She graduated high school in 1950 and went into nursing school. That same year, she met and married my father, Alfred Dirzuweit.  She bore him 3 children and after they were raised, she went back to college and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree.  

Her career blossomed and she went on to be a Supervisor of Nursing at National Jewish Hospital in Denver.  Her husband retired early and they moved to Santa Barbara, California where she became the nursing supervisor at St Francis hospital.   Her husband met an untimely death there in 1985.  She soon resigned from the hospital and hired-on with a private nursing company, where she was sent to Honolulu hospital.

When she returned to the mainland, she came to Vernal to visit her son and found some properties to invest in.  While rebuilding the initial home, she met Glen Allen, who was an electrician.  He came over to do some maintenance on her home and they were soon inseparable.   They married in 1999 in a cute ceremony in Las Vegas.  They were happy in life together and they flourished as a couple. 

Both supported each other and their loyalty to each other was beyond reproach.   As they grew old together, the inevitable challenges of old age set-in on both of them as they both were diagnosed with dementia.  Soon, they both were unable to care for themselves as the condition took over their lives.  

A Memorial Service for Rose will be held Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 2pm at the Blackburn Vernal Mortuary.