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- ROSEMARY TRETTIN
"ROSIE"
Appleton
All the world's a stage,
and all the men
and women
merely players;
they have their exits and
their entrances
and one man in his time
plays many parts.
Shakespeare
Funeral services for Rosemary will be held at 10:30 am on Monday, November 14, 2011. She learned to play many parts---high school teacher, forensic coach, National President/CEO of the National Catholic Society of Foresters and lifelong volunteer for her church and community.
Whether hosting a forensic tournament, coordinating a NCSF Convention, or serving on a committee, Rosemary possessed an exceptional talent for planning and organizing. She understood the meaning of "Bloom wherever you are planted".
Rosemary ended her earthly journey on Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at her home.
She was born June 8, 1922 in Appleton and was the daughter of the late August W. and Elizabeth (Etten) Trettin, prominent business leaders of the community. Rosemary resided in Appleton most of her life where many happy memories were created. She loved gardening and cherished her colorful yard. She would often comment on how much she enjoyed her childhood and adult years at the family home in the historic Third Ward.
Rosemary drew much of her inspiration from nature and her loving parents.
She admired the lives of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, President Ronald Reagan and Dr. Robert H. Schuller.
During her lifetime, Rosemary believed God had a plan for her. After graduating in 1941 from St. Mary Springs Academy, she enrolled at Mount Mary College and graduated in 1945 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in social science. She completed Postgraduate Study in Speech and English at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
For 34 years, Rosemary carried a full-time career in teaching speech and English, directing plays, and coaching forensics, in both public and parochial high schools. From 1947-1951, Rosemary taught English and coached forensics at Pulaski High School. She spent the greater share of her teaching career in the Fox Valley, including Freedom High School, 1951-1960; and Menasha St. Mary Central High School, 1960-1979.
In addition to teaching duties at Freedom High School, Rosemary was librarian, class play director, and forensic coach. Her student speakers showed a convincing record as they posted Little Nine Conference Championships in 1957, 1958, and 1960, placing second in 1959. Rosemary organized the Freedom High School Mortar Board Chapter of the National Honor Society and was faculty chairperson of the March of Dimes "Teens Against Polio". She supervised both the school newspaper and yearbook. In 1953, the yearbook staff dedicated their publication, SHAMROCK, to Rosemary for her help and guidance.
At Menasha St. Mary Central, Rosemary was fine arts chairperson, English and speech teacher and broadened the forensic program. Her student speakers consistently excelled, earning over 100 team trophies and 160 state gold medals and many individual trophies and ribbons. Rosemary was moderator of the St. Mary chapter of the National Forensic League and charter moderator of the National Catholic Forensic League.
In 1974 she received the NFL diamond key and was cited for the "Broad and Excellent" forensic program she had directed. In the same year Rosemary was listed in "Outstanding Secondary Educators of America" and in 1975 was named Mount Mary College "Madonna Medalist" for Professional Excellence. In 1978, she guided her forensic team to the National Forensic League Chapter Award of the Year for the State of Northern Wisconsin
After retiring from St. Mary Central in 1979, Rosemary devoted seven years to her post as national vice president of the National Catholic Society of Foresters and her role as volunteer forensic coach at Xavier High School. She earned the designation of Honorary Alumnus of both Xavier and St. Mary Central for her outstanding service to their forensic programs. The National Forensic League awarded Rosemary a second diamond in 1983 for giving her students an excellent training in the art of communication. In 1984, St. Mary Central established The Rosemary Trettin Scholarship, awarded annually to a promising forensic student.
In 1994 Rosemary was inducted into the Wisconsin Forensic Association Hall of Fame. She has been recognized by listings in the Leaders of Secondary Education, and in several Who's Who editions.
Rosemary thoroughly enjoyed her career in education. She did private tutoring after retirement. She still kept in touch with many of her former students. Rosemary took tremendous joy in the accomplishments of her students and enjoyed a lifetime commitment to teaching and coaching.
In 2008 the National Catholic Forensic League Grand Tournament held in the Fox Cities was dedicated to Rosemary, who founded the Green Bay Diocese NCFL league and devoted more than 40 years to coaching forensics. Rosemary merited the title of "Miss Forensics" among coaches and students.
Since 1951, Rosemary had been an active member of the National Catholic Society of Foresters, a fraternal life insurance society where she served in key leadership capacities for many years. In 1953, she was elected president of St. Mary Court 182, Appleton, and held the position for fifty years.
Other leadership positions included: general chairperson of the 1966 Wisconsin NCSF State Convention, president of the NCSF Association of the Green Bay Diocese, 1966-1978; national director, 1974-1978; national vice president, 1978-1986; director of the Wisconsin Fraternal Congress, 1982-1983, and WFC special projects committee, 1980-1986.
In August of 1986, Rosemary was elected NCSF National President/CEO and relocated to Chicago, the headquarters of the society. After completing her four-year term, she returned to Appleton. She served on the Board of the Illinois Fraternal Congress and was executive vice president of the Catholic Communication Foundation. Rosemary was selected the Society's 2002 Fraternalist of the Year, the highest honor that NCSF bestows and one of her proudest achievements.
Not only was Rosemary involved in secondary education, forensics, and National Catholic Society of Foresters, she was a lifelong devoted member of St. Mary Catholic Church where she had served as co-historian of the parish's 125th anniversary, lector, Eucharistic minister in church and to homebound, and coordinator of St. Mary Leisure Club.
Serving the Lord was important to Rosemary. She was engaged in charitable work, especially in promoting the Salesian Missions and supporting their seminarian program. In 1996, through her generosity, a chapel in Mtula, a small village in Tanzania, Africa, was built and named St. Elizabeth, in memory of her mother. Rosemary also sponsored children in Appalachia, India, and the Philippines.
During Rosemary's lifetime, she demonstrated her heartfelt pride and commitment to her community by generously offering her time and talents to numerous organizations. Rosemary served as regional chairperson of March of Dimes, co-leader of FISH Community Service, secretary of the St. Joseph Fraternity of Secular Franciscans, and president of Monte Alverno Retreat Center. She was a charter member of the Attic Theatre and first recipient of the Zoe Cloak Award. She was also a charter member of the World War II Memorial Society.
Being a lover of flowers, she became a charter member of the Gardens of the Fox Cities. Within the Gardens, she established the Serenity Butterfly Garden in memory of the August W. & Elizabeth C. Trettin Family. Rosemary was also a member of Catholic Daughters, Outagamie County Historical Society, Neenah-Menasha Breakfast Optimist Club, and Christ Child Society. For several years, Rosemary was a Salvation Army bell ringer, and an associate member of Wisconsin Forensic Coaches Association.
Rosemary will be remembered as someone who enjoyed doing what she loved best---devoting her time and energy to others. Always primary in her life were her religion, family and love for Appleton. She made friends wherever she went because of her outgoing personality. She shared her passion for traveling, especially visits to garden exhibits abroad, with her niece Mary Chris Honts.
Remaining to cherish Rosemary's memories is her sister, Jeanne (Dennis) Gundrum, Rubicon; as well as twelve beloved nieces and nephews of whom she took great pride, including, Lynne Lenius, Menasha; Bill (Mary) Schaff, Appleton; Virginia (Dr. Michael) Hogan, Urbana, IL; Tom Trettin, Appleton; Patricia (Norman) Hyland, Merritt Island, FL; Dr. Daniel Trettin, Atlanta, GA; Michael (Connie) Schultz, Frisco, CO; Lisa Stelzer, Madison; Elizabeth (Dick) Kotloski, Berlin; Patrick (Nancy) Schultz, Fond du Lac; Mary Chris (Steve) Honts, Muscatine, Iowa; Lauri (Dr. Donn) Harris, Neenah; niece in-law, Barbara Trettin, Appleton. Rosemary also cherished her thirty-five great nieces and nephews. She was further gifted with nineteen great, great nieces and nephews and many dear friends.
In addition to her loving parents, Rosemary was preceded in death by two sisters, Elizabeth Long and May Schaff; two brothers Arthur and David; two nephews, Robert Schultz and Jim Trettin, great niece, Betsy Harris; sisters in-law, Jane Trettin and June Trettin, brothers in-law, James G. Long and Clarence Schaff; nephew in-law Gary Lenius and niece in-law Diana Trettin.
The funeral liturgy will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, November 14, 2011 at St. Mary Catholic Church, 312 S. State St., Appleton, with Father Mike Wild officiating and Father James Leary OFM Cap concelebrating. Visitation will be at the Brettsschneider-Trettin-Lederer Funeral Chapel on Sunday, November 13, from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., and directly at the church on Monday from 9:00 am until the time of service. The parish prayer service will be held at 5:00 p.m. Sunday with Deacon Jerry Schraufnagel officiating. Interment will take place at St. Mary Catholic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials will be appreciated in Rosemary's name to benefit St. Mary Catholic Church, Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region (Fund for Gardens of the Fox Cities), Mount Mary College, Monte Alverno Retreat Center, St. Joseph Fraternity of Secular Franciscans, St Mary Central Forensic Scholarship, or charity of your choice . The family would like to extend a special thank you to ThedaCare At Home, Home Instead, and especially Rosemary's faithful caregiver and friend, Linda Bacheller.
When through one
woman a little more
love and goodness,
a little more
light and truth
come into the world,
then that woman's
life has had meaning.
Brettschneider-Trettin-Lederer
606 N. Oneida St.
Appleton 733-7383
www.btlfuneral.com
Published in Appleton Post-Crescent on November 11, 2011
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1922 - 2011 (89 years)
