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Rosa Lee Horn 84, of Roosevelt, Arizona, passed away peacefully on Sunday, Sept. 24. Rosa Lee was born on June 17, 1939, to Lettie Jane (Foster) Palmer and Paul Eugene Palmer of Gila Bend, Arizona. She was born with a caring soul and always ready to help others.
Rosa Lee was one of eight siblings. She is survived by sisters Elva Mae McMahon, Lettie Phillips, Joyce Grosch (Wayne) and Linda Gardman; brothers James Palmer and Paul Palmer (Lynn); and several nieces and nephews.
Rosa Lee graduated from Gila Bend High School in 1957. She then went on to ASU teaching college and received her Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1961. Rosa Lee moved to California to do her student teaching, where she met the love of her life, Clifford Lee Horn, at a school picnic. As the story goes, Cliff’s mom Anna Lee, also a teacher, told him if he wanted dinner he had to go to a school picnic, where he met the lovely Rosa. Cliff and Rosa Lee married and were blessed with son Clifford Jr. Cliff’s first son John and his lovely wife Donna blessed them with eight grandkids and 10 great-grandkids. Cliff Jr. married Paula and have a beautiful daughter and granddaughter.
Cliff and Rosa lived in San Bernardino, California, for the first years of marriage, moved to L.A. for a year and then moved to Central Heights in Globe, Arizona. Rosa Lee began teaching kindergarten in the Miami School District. Rosa Lee loved and always remembered all the students she taught through the 27 years. Everywhere she went people would say, “Do you remember me? I was one of your kindergarten students.” She almost always could remember their name and if they were a handful or a helper. Rosa Lee loved to hear students say, “You are the reason I became a teacher.”
Cliff and Rosa enjoyed fishing, camping and backyard barbeques. They loved the Roosevelt area and purchased a home to enjoy retirement. If you knew Rosa Lee, you knew her love for family, crafts, baking and sewing. At one point in time, she had made over 120 Christmas ornaments for friends and family. She made it a point to send the new bundles of joy their first personalized photo album. Rosa Lee was very grounded in her faith. She loved her church (Roosevelt Baptist Church) and was very active in serving as a Sunday School teacher, V.B.S. teacher, member of the choir and active congregant.
Cliff and Rosa Lee knew the importance of family and had opened their home to many family members to live. Rosa and Cliff provided a warm welcome to Paula and Kristen when they joined the family. They spent many weekends together in Roosevelt. Rosa Lee was in her element having two new students to teach baking, crafting, scrapbooking and sewing. Rosa Lee soon became Grandma Rosa to the family, and then the great-grandchild came, and she received the loving name RoRo. Rosa Lee enjoyed being with family and celebrating the holidays. The best teachers teach from the heart not from the book.
Family and friends are invited to join in Rosa Lee’s celebration of life on Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. at Roosevelt Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Roosevelt Baptist Church or your favorite school district.
