03/26/2026
We are celebrating Women’s History Month! We are appreciating all of the wonderful women who live here, and Rose wanted to share her life with us. Please say hello to our resident Rose. 🌹
Rose Ollie grew up in McGehee, Arkansas, on a farm, where daily life centered around hard work and family responsibility. She and her family spent much of their time tending to a large garden, growing their own food and working together to maintain it. With six brothers doing the heavy work outdoors and two sisters they tended to the indoor chores and gardening as well, Rose learned the value of teamwork, discipline, and dedication from a young age.
As a young woman, Rose enjoyed going to school, spending time with friends, and playing basketball. She was inspired by women who went to college, especially those who attended the University of Arkansas, even though it was far from her home.
At 20 years old, Rose began working as a social worker. She is very proud of her family and everything she has accomplished through hard work. One of her biggest achievements was working her way through college and graduating 1959 (as well as getting married to Fred).
Rose shared that she experienced discrimination as a woman. In one job interview, she was told she was excellent, but was not hired because she was not a man. This motivated her to work even harder to reach her goals.
To Rose, being a woman means working hard and staying strong to achieve the same opportunities as men. She believes that women’s roles have improved over time. While things may seem better on the surface, and people can no longer discriminate in the workplace.
Rose encourages young women to believe in themselves, work hard, go after opportunities, strive for excellence in education, and apply themselves. She looked up to her older sister, Lian, who moved to Chicago and became successful as an entrepreneur in the restaurant business. Lian also helped guide and support Rose, including giving her a place to live while she saved money and worked toward her goals.
In her free time, Rose enjoys hanging out with her friends & listening to music. One of her favorite memories was driving a truck. She was the only one allowed to drive, and she would often use the truck to go pick up her friends so they could spend time together.
Rose says that she would like to be remembered as a people person who cared about others. She describes herself as a person who loves school, and values her faith in God. Her connection to church and her identity as a Christian are very important parts of her life.
