Rose Bassana Bartley, 81, of Port Arthur Texas, died Tuesday June 6, 2017. She grew up as a proud Texan attending Bishop Byrne High School where she was a member of the marching band.
She was blessed with a large family of brothers and sisters whom she shared a unique bond with each. The Moreno family was close knit, fun loving and above all the pillar of what it means to be a Christian family.
Rose showed a love for nature at an early age. She always loved being outside climbing trees, picking wild flowers or just simply staring at God’s sky while listening to the birds sing.
She married in 1961 and welcomed 5 children within 7 years. She was a nurturing, loving, ever so kind, supportive mother and most of all a spiritual beacon for all. She was a constant example of how to live life to the fullest not just in happy times but even more so when life’s trials faced them.
Rose absolutely loved the beach and spent many family vacations where she showed off her skills at catching more crabs than anyone else! And then of course welcomed family, neighbors, and friends to sit at her table and feast on the day’s bounty. We can’t talk about Rose’s role of mother without mentioning her unwavering support. Support took many forms, like being the loudest cheerleader in the stands when her children played sports. Everyone knew when Rose was in the stands! Support also meant digging her heals in when times were tough and did anything that was needed to make sure her babies were taken care of. After a few years of homemaking, she returned to work sometimes holding down two jobs during the week and on weekends she baked pies that she would sell to Beaumont’s local hotel, The Americano Inn. Her children have vivid memories of riding in the back seat on the way to deliver the pies trying to hold them steady so the lemon meringue topping would not fall. Which was no easy task because Mama Rose had a lead foot and loved taking corners at full speed!
Several years after her divorce she met and fell in love with John Lowell Bartley. Their years together were spent hiking, snow skiing, white water rafting and on any given Wednesday night you’d find them dancing the night away at the local honky tonks where she literally danced circles around him!
In 1988 they moved to Ohio to finish out their perspective careers. They retired in 1996 and returned to live in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Their love grew stronger as each day passed. These retirement years were among her happiest and her children are forever grateful they got to witness her life in full bloom. And now they say goodbye to a loving & faithful saint they call Mom and heaven welcomes home an angel they call Rose.
