ROSALYN MAURINE FORNWALT

Rosalyn Maurine Fornwalt, 96, died at 1:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012, at Southern Oaks Health Care Center in St. Cloud, Fla., where she had been a resident since Sept. 29, 2011. Prior to that she had lived with her daughter, Ida, for 15 years in Oviedo, Florida. Rosalyn was born July 28, 1916 in Tower Hill, Ill., the daughter of Homer Earl and Mary Catherine (Barth) Hauter. She married Wesley E. Fornwalt, former pastor of the First Church of God, Fort Scott, Kan., on Aug. 26, 1939, in Dollville, Ill. Wesley preceded her in death Aug. 8, 1976. Rosalyn was a graduate of Wheaton College of Wheaton, Illinois and attended Wheaton at the same time as Billy Graham. She returned to Dollville, Ill., to be the school teacher of a one room school house two miles from her parents' home. She walked to school and back home every day and was responsible for opening up the school house and starting and keeping the fire going. She went on to teach in other schools in Illinois, Kansas, and Mississippi for a total of 18 years.

As a pastor's wife she (at various times) was the choir director, played the organ and the piano, and taught Sunday School. Also, as the wife of a man who grew up on the farm and grew a large garden, she did a lot of canning tomatoes, tomato juice, green beans, plums, pickles, and freezing corn and peas. She used to fry delicious pumpkin and squash blossoms, all the fish her husband caught, and cooked all the wild game he hunted and brought home.

She was a very kind and compassionate listener and was generous with her time and money to others in need. At the end of her life, nursing assistants at Southern Oaks said she was a very loving woman, and they could not believe her age. She always looked younger than she was.

Rosalyn is survived by two sons, Marvin W. Fornwalt and Kathy of Chesterfield, Mo.; and Roger L. Fornwalt and Barbara of Louisville, Ky.; two daughters, Marilyn J. Kredel and Don of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Ida K. Oakes and Steve of Oviedo, Fla.; seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Rosalyn was also preceded in death by her brother, Raymond Hauter, and her parents, Homer and Mary Hauter.

Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m., Friday, Jan. 25, at the Fort Scott First Church of God, with Pastor Philip Wilson presiding.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Church of God Library, which Rosalyn began in 1976 in honor of her late husband, Wesley Fornwalt.