Rosalie was raised in Elk Point, South Dakota attending school there through 8th grade. She attended 9th through 12th grade in North Sioux City. After high school, she went on to graduate from Stewart School of Hairstyling and Cosmetology in 1968, in Sioux City, Iowa.
Rosalie met Donald Merrill while attending high school at Riverside High. On September 6, 1969, Rosalie and Donald were married.
In 1988 she attended Mt. Hood Community College earning an Associate’s Degree w/Honors in Medical Assisting w/X-ray. Rosalie worked for Kaiser for 15 years. After working for Kaiser she and Donald provided homes for over 110 children in the foster care system for a span of 15 years also remaining a Cosmetologist.
Rosalie enjoyed bowling, volleyball, beach trips, coaching softball, riding horses. She was a Saddle Club member as a child in Vermillion.
Rosalie was kind and caring to everyone she knew and loved by all who knew her. "Love you, always"
