Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 242 BOCNEWS.com JANUARY 2017 God Can Preserve A Rose Like None Other "Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righ- teous life." — Proverbs 16:31 Rose DeGroat was born the youngest of 14 chil- dren (9 brothers and 4 sisters) on June 29, 1913 in Milam, Texas. Still full of life and the love of God, Mother Rose enjoyed attending baseball games and dancing in her younger days. Because church is and always has been a major part of this saint’s life, Rose DeGroat became a part of the AME Church and is still a blessing in the lives of fellow believers, family and friends. During a Sunday School hay ride excur- sion as a youngster, Rose recalled that she was in an accident and thought that she might lose her leg. She was grateful then and now that God blessed her to keep both legs and remains in reasonable good health, although she experiences arthritis as a result of this early injury. Although she has expe- rienced her share of trials and tribulations, Mother Rose reminds all of us that there is value in the back home, good ol’ days and how we must put our com- plete faith and trust in God who has been there for her in good times and in bad. At age 13, Rose ended her school days in the 7th grade then began to work to help support her large family. From 1926-1983, she continued to work her whole life as a hard worker until she reached the tender age of 70. To earn a living, Mrs. DeGroat worked as a maid and babysitter. One of the promi- nent families that she worked for was President Roosevelt’s son, Theodore whose daughter she cared for. Honored to be the mother of one son and daugh- ter, Rose stated that she never imagined that she would out-live both her children. Regarding fancy, new-fangled inventions, Mother Rose commented that she never thought that she would see an invention like the cell phone (that is taking over everything) which allows people to go anywhere and talk to others around the world. She also expressed her amazement regarding the computer that makes it IMPOSSIBLE for us to have secrets. As we took a walk down memory lane, Rose shared her love and respect for remarkable men like Martin L. King, Jr., a Baptist minister and civil-rights activ- ist, who put the focus back on God by breaking the color line with his thoughts and philosophy on race relations in this country. Finally, Mother Rose declared that she never, ever imagined that the time would come when our coun- try would actually have a black president! Her favor- ite foods include fried chicken, green & cornbread, and her favorite dessert is chocolate ice cream. Her favorite scripture is Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shep- herd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely good- ness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” When asked why God has blessed her to still be here, Mother Rose simply answered, “I think that maybe God is pleased with something that I have done.” Still remaining as active as possible, Mother Rose cooks about twice a week and drives herself to church on Sundays (when she feels like it). Having lived in her current home for over 51 years, Rose commented that while her old house needs a lot of work, she is satisfied and content with what she has. This phenomenal, amazing, devout Woman of God is a charter member of Jordan AME Church in Denver, Colorado where she serves as a devoted member and deaconess. Mother Rose celebrated her 100th birth- day on 6/29/13 with a special birthday celebration party at Jordan AME Church. By Elinora Reynolds Mother Rose declared that she never, ever imagined that the time would come when our country would actually have a black president! COMMUNITY Sisters board member, Michael Richardson was lucky enough to be selected to sit next to Mother Rose in this great picture.