One hundred years, eleven months, twenty-nine days, and eighteen hours ago, a baby was presented to her older siblings, and Bud made the comment, “She’s a HONEY!” The name stuck. Loretta Larner Rosen (aka Honey) died June 23, 2019 at the Care Center in Grand Marais. She was a vital character until nearly the end. Several months ago, when her doctor frankly told her, “Honey, I think this is going to do you in.” Honey replied, “Good! It’s time!” She was promised drugs to keep her comfortable should she need them, but consistently turned them down with “I’m no drug addict!” She died peacefully six hours before she turned 101 years old.
Honey’s early career as a dancer and vaudeville performer started at age 15. As World War II approached, she signed up with USO to provide entertainment for the troops. She spent five years traveling all over the world in this capacity. If you name anywhere…Africa, India, Turkey, Europe, Japan, Argentina, Iran, and the Caribbean she’d recall some adventure that happened to her there. She left Pearl Harbor on a ship on December 5, 1941.
Honey worked 30 years for Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics. Again, traveling the world and educating the women who would sell the products. Later, she worked at Marshall Fields department store in Chicago. Honey’s retirement checks came from Miss Arden’s will until the very end.
Who gets their driver’s license and marries for the first (and only) time in their fifties? Honey, that’s who! She and husband, Al Rosen, managed the Blackstone Theater in Chicago until his death in 1976. Then she traveled, driving all over the country, and often to Grand Marais where she finally settled down in 1998 to help care for her sister Mary Neal. Vagabond that she’d been her whole life, she had to be convinced to buy a unit in the Homestead Cooperative. She later said it was one of the best moves of her life. She loved Grand Marais and her years here.
Honey’s generosity and attitude were impeccable. She would share her “stuff” and her “time” with no holds barred. Her favorite thing was taking people out to dinner. (With her life on the road, she never became a very good cook!) The bright side was the only side she saw, as indicated by her response to the doctor. The only thing that would make her sad was to lose a friend or an animal, especially cats.
Honey loved most music, jazz in particular. She could not keep from bouncing around when it was playing. Not at 15…30…50…85 … or 100 years old.
She never had kids of her own but was certainly devoted to her nieces and nephews. (Locally, Pat Neal and Kitty Kelly.)
She always looked nice. Great skin, excellent make-up, and wonderful taste in interesting, colorful clothing. There’s a brown, silk Salvatore Ferragamo dress waiting for the right person! She said it could not go to the recycle store.
She enjoyed a glass or two of wine ‘til the bitter end.
She was grateful. If she said it once, she said it a thousand times. “I’m the luckiest person in the world to have had such an interesting life and the wonderful people in it.”
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