Rose Eleanor Knight

Rose was born June 13, 1934, outside of La Grange, Texas, to Jerry and Agnes Janda. She spoke Czech until the age of 5 when she started school and learned to speak English.

Rose graduated from La Grange High School in 1952 before attending the University of Texas-Austin, from which she graduated in 1956 with degrees in Journalism and Sociology. While at UT-Austin, she was a member of the Texas Orange Jackets, the Symphonic Band, the Czech Club and served as an editor of The Daily Texan college newspaper. During a short stint as a newspaper reporter in Virginia, Rose was proud to have the opportunity to interview the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. At 50, Rose decided to go back to college to pursue her life-long dream of designing children’s clothes. She graduated from Stephens College in Columbia with a BFA in Fashion Design.

Rose was married to Robert Knight, whom she met while in journalism school, for 36 years, until his death in 1992. After their wedding in 1956, they lived in Santiago, Chile, for a year where Robert had a Fulbright fellowship to study international journalism. This sparked an interest in travel that Rose pursued in retirement – destinations such as China, Egypt, Russia, Europe, South America and various sites throughout the United States on trips organized through Landmark Bank and Regency Club.

After moving from Texas to Columbia in 1964, Rose dedicated her life to caring for others – first as a devoted wife and mother of five and later through her work as a journalist, school and community volunteer (Cub Scout den leader), and as a Costume Technician in the Costume Shop and then Director of the Historical Costume Collection, both at Stephens College.

Throughout her life, Rose was involved in various organizations such as Friends of the Library, Women’s Extension Club and Women of Lourdes at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church for 62 years.

She loved designing and dressmaking, smocking, reading, puzzles, coloring and traveling the world. Rose had an affinity for designing and sewing Heirloom French hand-sewn dresses for her granddaughters. Her talents extended to designing and sewing baton twirling costumes for her daughters and the Mizzou Golden Girls.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband. She is survived by her children Robert P. Knight Jr.; Kathleen (Frank B. III) Evers of Nashville, Tenn.; Timothy (Linda) Knight of Seattle; Rodney (Katherine Baldwin) Knight of Chapel Hill, N.C.; and Caroline (Dave) Linden of Naperville, Ill.; seven grandchildren Frank B. (Whitley) Evers IV, Caroline Evers, Madelaine Knight, Henry Knight, Tai Knight, Katie Linden and Haley Linden; her sister Margaret Stockton of Texas; and four nieces and two nephews.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Columbia, with visitation at the church at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Missouri Chapter, Attn: Donation Processing, 11433 Olde Cabin Road, Suite 100, St. Louis, MO 63141, or Central Missouri Hospice, 1001 Southwest Blvd., Suite A, Jefferson City, MO 65106.

Condolences and fond memories may be shared at www.memorialfuneralhomeandcemetery.com