Rosalie Sadenwater of Valparaiso, formerly of Michigan City, passed away on
Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 at 9:23 p.m. at the VNA Hospice Center in Valparaiso.
She was 87.
Rosalie was born Feb. 9, 1923 to the late Lehman and Bertha (Stanley) Downs.
On Dec. 25, 1941, she married Wilbur H. Sadenwater, who survives in
Valparaiso.
Also surviving are daughters Nancy Russell of Michigan City and Cristine
Steele of Valparaiso; grandchildren Amy Dombkowski of West Lafayette, Megan
Russell of Edison, N.J., Kristen Miller of Denver, Colo., and Kaitlin Steele
of Chicago; great-grandchildren Alexandra and Dax Dombkowski of West
Lafayette; sisters Shirley (husband Bob) Kelly of Michigan City and Donna
Roames of Des Plaines, Ill.; brother James (wife June) Downs of Michigan
City; and many beloved nieces and nephews and several kindered art friends
and students.
She is preceded in death by sister Katherine Behrndt, brother Stanley Downs,
son-in-law Charles “Buzz” Russell and many other wonderful relatives and
friends.
Rosalie worked for First Merchants Bank both as a teller and a travel agent
for nearly 20 years. She was a long time member and officer of the Michigan
City Art League, a long time member of the Chesterton Art Center, and had
attended and received a degree from the Chicago Art Academy. She taught
acrylic and watercolor painting classas for many years unitil 2008. She
received numerous art awards throughout northern Indiana for works of oil,
acrylic, watercolor and collage. She also designed and painted the mural for
the children of St. John’s Church. She was a lifetime resident of Michigan
City and La Porte County until 2005, when she and her husband moved to
Valparaiso. She enjoyed years of square and round dancing with her husband
and their many LaPorte friends. She loved beach painting along with her old
dog, Buffy. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother and
great-grandmother who will be deeply missed by them all.
Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held on Saturday at 11
a.m. at the Root Funeral Home with Rev. Lance Hilberg officiating. Burial of
the cremains will take place at a later date in Greenwood Cemetery. A time
of remembrance will be held on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from
10 to 11 a.m. at the Root Funeral Home. Memorial donations may be made to
the VNA Hospice Center, 2401 Valley Drive, Valparaiso, IN 46385.