Rose Mary (Salser) Evans

"Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything."   C.S. Lewis

Rose Mary Salser Evans left us on February 2, 2025, but also left us with wonderful memories of a truly unique and loving person.

Born on June 21, 1941, a fraternal twin (Ronald Salser, brother), to Grover Cleveland Salser and Emma Lucas Salser in Racine, Ohio, Rose Mary was the seventh of eight children. She had an active childhood, growing up and helping on the family dairy farm, Elm Grove Dairy. Rose was close with all of her brothers and sisters.

Rose Mary graduated from Racine High School in 1959 and from Rio Grande College in 1961 with a cadet teaching certificate. After having two children, Rose Mary returned to school and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education in 1964. She earned a Masters of Special Education from Marshall University in 1974.

Rose Mary married Clyde Merrill Evans in August of 1961, sealing a productive and dynamic partnership for sixty years until Clyde passed in 2021.  Together they worked for the community and their family with Rose Mary providing much of the "behind the scenes" foundation work. She was tireless in attacking projects for Clyde, her children and grandchildren or the community.

Rose Mary and Clyde put parenting of their four children as the first priority of their lives. Margaret Evans (David Smalley); Sarah Evans-Moore; Nancy Evans-Seeberg (Scott Seeberg) and Dylan Owen Wade Evans (Angela Leister) benefitted from the examples they set.

Once grandchildren came along, Rose Mary and Clyde expanded the love and adoration to Evans Smalley (A.J. Bruno); Owen Evans McCoy Moore; Leia Rose McCoy Moore (Luke) Lyden; Audrey Ellen Seeberg; Natalie Mae Seeberg (Adam) Champer; Henry "Hank" Tomas Leister Evans and Naomi Rose Leister Evans.

Rose Mary was a teacher in the Gallipolis City School System who made a real difference in the lives of her students.  She loved her students and tried to inspire them to achieve academically but also to become solid adults. Clyde noted that "everything she [Rose Mary] touched created a learning opportunity."

Rose was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Clyde Merrill Evans; sisters: Manon Salser Thompson and Carol Salser Birch; brothers: Charles "Took" Salser, Grover Cleveland Salser Jr. "Junior," and Lowell Salser; sisters-in-law: Dortha Salser and Deloris "Dee" Salser; brothers-in-law: James Thompson and George Evans; one well-loved son-in-law: Joe "Poppy Joe" Moore.

Surviving Rose Mary are her children and their families, as well as sister: Carmen Salser Price and her husband Sam Price; brother and fraternal twin: Ronald Salser and his wife Janice "Cookie" Salser; sisters-in-law: Betty Salser and Mary Evans; brother-in-law: Robert Birch.

Rose Mary loved and leaves behind also her many nieces, nephews and their families, whom she cherished and to whom she communicated her love through showing interest in them and sharing laughter with them.

Rose Mary loved to follow her family in sports and loudly criticize the officials.  She was a talented artist and used her sewing expertise to make countless costumes for local community theater productions.

For thirty-three years, Rose Mary was the number one supporter of the University of Rio Grande Women's Basketball team. She helped organize fundraisers and concocted her deliciously famous chicken and noodles for concession at those events. Rose Mary also "mothered or grandmothered" every women's basketball player who came through the program during the thirty-three years.

Rose Mary's "Hillbilly Bars," a chocolate chip dessert bar, won the bake-off at the NAIA National Tournament in 2015, in conjunction with the NAIA National Women's Basketball Tournament.  This win made the "Hillbilly Bar" the National Champion Team Dessert for 2015.

Rose was FUN! She had a grace that made you feel loved and a wit that kept the laughter rolling.  She loved fiercely, supported unmovingly, gave generously and laughed heartily.

A Memorial Service will be held at 4:00 p.m. on June 14, 2025, at the Ariel Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre in the third floor Chamber Theatre.  In addition to and prior to the service, the family will greet friends from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

If a remembrance is planned, please consider your favorite charity or the Clyde M. and Rose Mary Salser Evans Memorial Scholarship at the University of Rio Grande, 218 North College Avenue, Rio Grande, Ohio 45674; the Grover Cleveland and Emma Lucas Salser Memorial Scholarship or the Wade and Reva Hutchinson Evans Memorial Scholarship at URG at the same address.

The McCoy-Moore Funeral Home, Wetherholt Chapel, Gallipolis, is honored to handle arrangements for the Evans Family and provide this loving memorial written  by Rose's Family.