Elizabeth Rose was born on March 18, 1943, to Alice and Philetus “Pete” Spalding. She was the fourth child to arrive in the Springfield home. Her siblings included: Eleanor, Martha, Lawrence, Wanda (Sister Laurita), Marlin, Sara, Alice and Eddie.
When she was 10 days old, on Sunday, March 28, 1943, Elizabeth Rose “Betty Rose” was baptized with her family present at St. Rose of Lima Church in Springfield, Ky. The Spalding family was a family of faith. At 7 years old, Betty Rose received her first Holy Communion and was confirmed at St. Rose a year later.
Betty Rose’s first school years were at St. Agnes, which closed at the end of her second year. She attended St. Rose in Springfield through her eighth grade. At both of these schools, the Dominican Sisters taught her. But then at Fredericktown High School in Springfield, she encountered Sister Consolata, her first Ursuline Sister.
In December 1959, when Betty Rose was 16 years old, she submitted her application to begin the process of becoming an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph. In September of 1960, she began her last semester of high school at Mount Saint Joseph Academy and at the same time entered the Mount Saint Joseph Postulancy. One year later, in August 1961, Betty Rose took the name Sister Rosanne and joined with 18 others to form the class of 1961.
Sister Rosanne taught in Kentucky at St. Bernard School, Clementsville; Mary Carrico School, Knottsville; St. Catherine School, New Haven; St. Peter of Alcantara School, Stanley; and at Precious Blood School, Owensboro, serving as teacher and principal. She was also a teacher and principal at Christ the King School in Madisonville. She also taught at St. John School, Plattsmouth, Neb. She was director of religious education at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Owensboro, and from 1998-2023, she served as pastoral associate and director of religious education at Precious Blood Parish in Owensboro. For many years she made beautiful quilts for the Ursuline Quilt Club.
Sister Rosanne, 80, died May 16, 2023, in her 62nd year of religious life. The funeral Mass was at 10 a.m. on May 23 at Mount St. Joseph. Burial was in the convent cemetery.