Mavis Rosene Broberg

Mavis Lenore Rosene passed away peacefully to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on March 8th, at the age of 87, in Spokane, WA. She is survived by her son, Brooks and her daughter, LuRae. And let it be known to all, that she is Swedish! 😊

Mavis was born to Rev. Morris Rosene and his wife, Bertha in Hastings, NE. She was the younger sister of Pauline. When Mavis was one year old, the family moved to Oakland, CA where her father became the pastor for the Evangelical Free Church. In 1940, the family moved to Georgetown, TX to become the pastor of the Evangelical Free Church in town. Then, in 1951, Rev. Morris took his final ministry position at Harper Evangelical Free Church in Port Orchard, WA.

The Rosene family was impacted by the depression years and Mavis remembers watching her mother serve food to homeless/transient people from the backdoor of the parsonage. During those meals, Morris would visit and minister to the less fortunate. Mavis attended kindergarten in Oakland at Horace Mann Elementary School and while in Georgetown, she attended a two-room country school from 1st-7th grade. She picked cotton during harvest, and took a great interest in music, living up to the meaning of her name, "Song Bird." It was there that she learned to play the piano which became her lifelong musical companion. She graduated from Georgetown High School in 1951. After the family moved to Harper, she took the ferry every day into Seattle to work at Prudential Insurance Co. She saved enough money over two years to attend Seattle Pacific College (now, University) where she graduated in 1958 with a BA in Music Education. She remembered working, school, working, migraines, working, school and work. Yet she still made time to help organize the homecoming festivities for school one year.

After graduating from college, she became a teacher in Raymond, WA and Puyallup, WA and then, one year in Maine. She married Larry L. Broberg in 1959 and they moved to Bellingham, WA where she continued to be a teacher. Although Larry and Mavis divorced twenty years into their marriage, Mavis demonstrated great forgiveness and unconditional love from which Larry benefited greatly until his passing in 2009. In 1967, the family moved to Spokane, WA. She spent the rest of her career from 1967-1995, teaching elementary choral music in Spokane Public Schools. After retiring from teaching public school, she taught primary music for 7 years, part time, at The Oaks Classical Christian Academy. After her second retirement, she gradually downsized her living arrangements in Spokane and began to “decline on schedule” (a favorite saying of hers) at her final residence, Rockwood South Hill - Skilled Nursing. The family has the deepest appreciation for the staff of The Atrium at Rockwood. We wish to thank those who cared for her during her 4 years there and are so grateful for you. You cared for her as if she were family, administering wonderful care during the covid quarantine and, most recently, her final days. We are eternally grateful.

Music was the theme of her life. While an elementary music teacher in Spokane, she choreographed scores (get it?… ‘scores’) of Christmas and year-end programs for the schools she taught in and impacted the lives of countless students. She played the piano and organ for numerous events at churches in the area. She lifted her voice in church, carted her kids and grandkids to innumerable music lessons and sat through more musical events than can be counted. She was the church Choir Director at both First Covenant Church and First Evangelical Free Church (Three Crosses) in Spokane. She served as Chair of a Church Maintenance Committee and was a member of the Evangelical Free Church of America her entire life. She also belonged to Alpha Delta Kappa (educators’ philanthropic organization), Music Educators Association, Spokane Symphony Chorale and performed “Four Hands/One Piano” concerts for retirement communities. She created beautiful scrapbooks for her children and each of her grandchildren. She kept a remarkable sense of humor, a good wit, never complained nor swore, no matter what the circumstance might be, was cheerful to everyone she met.

All this describes a life well lived by Mavis, however, for her, it was her love for her Lord and Savior that was most important to her. She lived her faith in action and with perseverance, teaching about Jesus in the neighborhood K-6 club, reaching out to those in need, sharing verses to encourage others and praising him through music throughout her life. She was ever hopeful that others would come to know Jesus as their Savior as she did. If you haven’t met Him personally as Mavis did, please introduce yourself, the blessings that come from our Lord cannot be measured.

Mavis Rosene Broberg is survived by her son, Brooks (Silke) Broberg, her daughter, LuRae (Jeff) Schlect, her grandchildren, Claire (Kirk) Hamar and Ansel Broberg, and Tyson (Laura) Schlect, Carson (Britta) Schlect, Syd (Nik) Cable, and Rachael (Austin) Schlect, soon to be Gatons. She is also survived by four beautiful great-granddaughters who visited her right up to the end, Lenora, Callie, Rowena and Meira, as well as numerous nieces and nephews and their children. She was known as Mom, Far Mor, Mor Mor and Great Mor Mor. Mavis loved her entire family and lit up whenever they came to visit her. And she was Swedish! 😊

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, April 9th, 2022, at 1:00 PM at Three Crosses Church. Pastor Dave Hammond officiating. 4920 N Assembly St. Spokane, WA. 99205.

In lieu of flowers, please consider sending a 501(c)(3) eligible contribution to the “Mavis Broberg Memorial Gift” The Oaks Classical Christian Academy 11711 E 24th Ave. Spokane Valley, WA 99206.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.HazenJaegerValley.com for the Broberg family.