Rose Henning Fisher Breunig was born in 1918 on the west side of Louisville, Kentucky. She was born in the year of the Spanish Flu Pandemic and now we are in the midst of the Coronavirus Pandemic. She contracted neither. She was the daughter of Chester Abbott Fisher and Blanche Mary Henning. She was the second of four girls in the family. She was preceded in death by her husband, George Thomas "Tom" Breunig; and her sisters Lucille Fisher, Mary Bannon, and Marjorie Runyon. Rose is survived by a son, Wayne Breunig (Karen), a daughter, Karen Morrow(Ken); granddaughter, Michelle Breunig, grandson, Jeff Breunig(Ashley), grandson, Doug Breunig(Katie); great granddaughter, Madeline, great grandsons, Jack and Henry; step great granddaughter, Georgia, and step great grandson Jordan.
Rose enjoyed visiting family friends in Cannelton, Indiana where her mother was born and grew up. She graduated in January of 1937 from Shawnee High School with honors, serving five semesters on the Executive Board of the Student Council and earning a letter in volleyball. She attended the University of Louisville for one year. Then, to deal with the financial pressures of the Great Depression, Rose and her sister Lucille moved to Casper, Wyoming to work in their uncle Welker Henning’s hotel. The sisters stayed there until the bombing of Pearl Harbor when they decided they should return home to Louisville.
During World War II, Rose worked for the telephone company. She would car pool with co-workers in order to save on the gas rationing stamps. In 1945,as the war came to an end, Rose met a returning veteran, Tom Breunig. They were married October 19, 1946 in Crescent Hill Methodist Church. They bought their first house in Louisville and had both of their children. Tom returned to his career with the L&N Railroad, which he began in 1942 before enlisting. While in Louisville, Rose was an active member of the Order of Eastern Star, achieving Fourth Degree (Martha). Always a dog lover, they took on a Collie that had been labeled the “runt of the litter”, but he was registered. They named him Rhayle and Rose was determined to prove all the pros wrong. She groomed him and took him to many Kentucky Kennel Club shows and he filled a scrapbook with ribbons and a few trophies.
Tom’s career with the railroad meant that every promotion resulted in a transfer. For Rose it meant settling children into new schools, making new friends, joining new Sunday school classes, and new social or charitable organizations. Between 1952 and 1984 Rose lived in Bowling Green, KY, Mobile, AL, Knoxville, TN, Evansville, IN, Louisville, KY, and Jacksonville, FL. Then they moved back to Louisville. During this time, Rose raised small children, took them to numerous lessons and classes, sporting events, and attended their performances. She was active in the Methodist church in each of these cities, Sunday School Class, Women’s Society of Christian Service, hosting Circles and holding office. She was in the Jaycee auxiliary, the PTA and most always in a bridge club. She took up golf and played a round with her grandchildren at age 80.
After Tom’s retirement, Rose was determined to see the USA. They went on several 30-day senior’s bus tours as well as shorter ones. They visited most all of the 50 states as well as most of the national parks. During retirement, she spent a lot of time visiting with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She even did some week-long babysitting of grandchildren while parents were on vacation or business trips. During her later years she was a consistent visitor at nursing homes around Louisville to call on her sisters or other family friends, even though at the time she was older than they were. She was always the one responsible for family and friends.
One thing that is striking with all of the moving that Rose did in her life time, she made friends. At most every stop on her travels she established friendships that have lasted a lifetime. She maintained those contacts through phone, correspondence or visits during her travels.
In recent months a number of people have asked Rose how is it that she came to live so long. She would say “I just always stay happy”. Truly a life well lived.
All services will be private. Services will be live streamed via Facebook page Evergreen Funeral Home & Evergreen Cemetery beginning at 1:45 pm Friday, January 8, 2021, and will also be posted after the service is concluded for later viewing.
In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to ROOM IN THE INN at Franklin First United Methodist Church, 120 Aldersgate Way, Franklin Tn 37069 https://franklinfumc.org/givenow
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