Janet Rosa, a native of Merced died May 5th, 2018 in Merced, California. She was 83 years old. Jan as she was known to her friends, attended local grammar schools and Merced High School and enjoyed taking classes at Merced College. Her parents moved to Merced from Yosemite when she was six months old and she resided in Merced all of her life with the exception of a 9 year period, 1964-1973, when she, her husband and children lived in Sacramento. Her maternal and paternal grandparents move to Yosemite in the 1920’s where she often visited as both a child and adult. Active in the Catholic Church, Jan served as president of Our Lady of Mercy Schools Mother Club, as a member of the OLM Parish Council, OLM Alter Society, the St. Patrick’s Building Committee and Sacristan and Eucharistic Minister for both OLM and St. Patrick’s. In 1991 Jan helped establish a local lay Carmelite Community-the Third Order Carmelites, and served as Director for the Merced Chapter and as Regional Director for Central California. She was extremely proud of her Carmelite affiliation as her great great great aunt; a Carmelite nun brought the order to a then relatively new United States. In addition, a great great great, uncle helped establish the Jesuits in Maryland. She cherished her visits to the Marian Shrines of Medjougrie, Bosnia; Knock, Ireland; Fatima, Portugal; Lourdes, France; Notre-Dame-Du Cap, Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec, Canada and her 5 visits to the Shrine of St. Anne, Santé-Anne-de-Beaupre, Quebec. Jan held membership in several environmental organizations, and was a long time member of the Yosemite Conservancy (Association). She was also a member of the Merced County Historical Society, The Merced Theatre Foundation. In addition she supported several Catholic religious groups. She was an avid gardener whose yard was noted for its profusion of flowers and was featured on the Merced Garden Clubs home tours. Prior to her retirement she was a bookkeeper for Tall’s Department Store and Minetti’s Stationary. Mrs. Rosa was preceded in death by her mother Mary Vano, her father Marvin Sewall, an infant Daughter Marie Linda Rosa and by her brother Larry Sewall. She is survived by her husband of 67 years James Rosa; a son James Rosa Jr. and his wife Pam of Costa Mesa; and daughters Maryanne Brown and her husband Mike of Yuba City, Josphine Rosa of Merced and Joan Araujo and her husband Dr. David Araujo of Ventura. She also leaves three sisters: Cindy Dunn of Salinas, Sundi Babcock of Fresno and Terry Lebda of Marina and their respective husbands and six grandchildren and three step-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at Our Lady of Mercy Church were Jan was both Baptized and Married. A Rosary will be held at 8:30 a.m. Her funeral Mass will be preceding the Rosary at 9:00a.m. Arrangements will be handled by Stratford Evans Merced Funeral Home in the directions of Kent Floro. Contributions may be made to the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, 31970 State Highway P, Clyde, MO 64432, The Traditional Benedictine Monks, P.O. Box 1616, Cullman AL 35056 or a charity of choice.
