Rose Shaffer

Rose was born December 5, 1927 to Ksenia († 1989) and Nickolai († 1942) Daviduk in the village Werbche in the Ukraine.

At the age of 3, in 1930, Rose immigrated to Tomahawk, Alberta, Canada with her parents, older siblings Bill († 2006) and Ann († 2001), and younger brother John († 2000). Later, the family would welcome Pete († 2017), Ollie, Mary, Helen, Fred († 1938), and Lora.

In a one room log house on 160 acres, the family lived and worked on their farm; growing most of the food they ate and raising a variety of animals. Rose would milk 2-3 cows before walking 2 miles to school in a one room school house.

When Rose started school she didn’t speak more than a few words of English and her teacher didn’t speak Ukrainian. She read as much as she could, studied and got good grades. After high school Rose moved to Vancouver, BC. Rose recalled how exciting it was for a “farm girl from Tomahawk” to be on her first big city adventure with electric lights, telephones, streetcars and movies!

She worked at libraries in Vancouver, spent time traveling Europe, and then moved to Seattle in 1958. Rose married Robert Shaffer ( †1959) in 1958.

Rose worked for Westin Hotels in the design department in Seattle, and retired in the early eighties. She then went on to sell residential real estate in Seattle until 2000, ultimately retiring at the age of 83.

Follower of Jesus, Rose was a proud member of University Presbyterian Church in Seattle for over 50 years. She was an active member of the Seattle Pace Setter’s club. She enjoyed her many travels over the years, visiting Africa, Europe, China, Mexico, most notably going back the the village she was born in 1993.

Rose moved to Olympia in 2012 to be closer to family and spent the past 4 years at Bethany Adult Family Home, where she was well cared for.

Rose leaves behind sisters Ollie, Mary, Helen and Lora, as well as 3 generations of nieces and nephews who will miss but always remember their Aunt Rosie; the fun, elegant, compassionate, strong, hardworking, intelligent (the list goes on) Aunt Rosie.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, no formal service will be held. Her family will be compiling memories and photos to be shared via book and video. If you have contributions you would like to make, or would like to be sent a video once completed, please email Tara Smith at [email protected]