Rosalie Caldwell

Rosalie Ann Caldwell was called home to her Savior on May 28, 2025. She was just 27 days short of her 102nd birthday. For the last few months her family and friends were with her every day, and she passed away peacefully in the home she had lived in for 61 years. For over 100 years, she was a sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother like few the world has ever seen.

She married Jim Caldwell when he returned from the War in the Pacific, and together they had nine children: Chris (and Laurie) Caldwell, Chuck (and Lucy) Caldwell, Tommy, Cathryn (and Jim) Hudson, Mike (and Mary) Caldwell, Dick (and Carrie) Caldwell, John (and Susan) Caldwell, Joe (and Liz) Caldwell, and Margaret (and Martin) Greydanus. She is survived by all but Tommy and Dick.

Rosalie lived her faith every day. It was a part of everything she did. Mother of nine, grandmother of 27, great-grandmother of 34, and wife of one man, she possessed a tireless capacity to work, a bottomless well of joy, and a complete inability to complain. But more than anything, her life was driven by her faith. She was thankful for all the many blessings in her life, and she prayed unceasingly for her family.

Rosalie praised God with the action of her life. Every day, she lived her thanks, her praise, and her faith by serving others, by accepting children willingly, and raising them to be strong in faith, mind and body. Awake when we woke in the morning, she was often still working late into the night, doing all the work that is required to care for a household of ten. But she didn’t raise children – she raised a family. As a family, through hard work, chores and responsibilities, she made it clear we were part of something bigger. She was an ongoing example of respect and selflessness.

Rosalie had simple rules, often expressed in a few words, and those rules never changed. “Always put yourself last” was as correct in life as it was in grammar. Four words that we heard often and saw in action continuously. She believed that there were very few instances when saying something negative about someone else was warranted.

We are grateful for a mother who prayed tirelessly for her children – for countless rosaries and boundless faith. She had an endless working love, doing for others, always.

We are thankful for the example of marriage shown by Mom and Dad – Dr. James Caldwell. For 67 years they showed us love and support, a “one-ness” in marriage, perseverance, strength, and just plain hard work. They were inseparable, even after Dad’s passing 11 years ago.

In her later years, she showed absolute joy to those who visited her. Her laughter, smiles, songs, and spunk. She blessed us with her steadfast refusal to give up and her incredible ability to recover from setbacks. She welcomed visitors with a great smile and a heartfelt warmth right up to the very end.

We are blessed with all she did for us, for the love and the faith she handed down, and for a humble life that always pointed to God.

Rosalie was born June 24, 1923 at her home in Mount Clemens, MI, to Henry and Mary Peltier. She was youngest of eight children: James, Daniel, Adele, Nathalie, twins Constance and Constant, and Virginia.

During the War, she excelled in work at Selfridge Airforce Base and, in later years, worked side by side with Dad as his dental assistant. They were among the founders of St. Monica’s Parish and School and they were instrumental in the Michigan Right to Life movement. She loved being on the water, and was a big baseball fan, even taking a turn at bat in a family wiffle ball game – at the age of 99! She loved games and was especially dangerous at cards.

There will be a visitation Monday, June 2, from 5-7 PM at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo, (269) 375-2900. From 7-8 PM, there will be a Rosary and a time of sharing.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, June 3, at 10 AM at St. Monica Church, 4408 South Westnedge Avenue, Kalamazoo. It will be followed by a brief graveside service at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. All are invited to join us at a luncheon at the Kalamazoo Country Club, 1609 Whites Road, Kalamazoo, starting at 12:30 PM.

Celebrate Rosalie’s life online by sharing your favorite stories and photos on her dedicated webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com.

Thank you, Mom. May your soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.