Extracted from The Shreveport Times (Shreveport, LA)
Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Rosemary Sanders Baldridge

Shreveport - Rosemary Baldridge, wife to William Wiley Baldridge, our mother, grandmother, and great grandmother passed away October 6, 2017. She was born on June 8, 1922, 4th of 6 siblings. William Huffman Sanders was a logging entrepreneur of central Louisiana who died at age 38, leaving wife Maggie Sanders, nee Gaar, to rear and educate the six children. As a widow during the Great Depression, armed with little else but courage & resolve, she moved the family to Ruston so that the children could attend Louisiana Tech.

Rosemary obtained a degree in Home Economics which emphasized a thorough foundation in natural sciences, design, and sewing, nutrition and cooking. Rosemary applied these skills as an architectural drafter in New Orleans, lab technician at Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, a seamstress for self and daughters, and as a north Louisiana gourmet cook and economic homemaker. She ceased to -sew-later in her life, but team "Bill & Rosemary" raised a vegetable garden, conserved & preserved, made designer wines under the secret family label "Old Bubbly." Rosemary's home reflected her values and tastes, but Bill always thought of her home as his castle.

Rosemary married William Wiley Baldridge from Conway, Arkansas in 1943. After WWII the couple moved to Dallas, where Bill attended Dental School, and there Diane and Adele were born. Wiley and Ruth came along in short order as Bill was beginning his practice in Shreveport. Rosemary and Bill raised their brood with a firm hand and conservative Christian values. She loved her numerous Arkansan family of in-laws. Of them, Doyle and Eleanor Baldridge, who remain in Shreveport, have been a great comfort to her and Bill.

Rosemary was a devout Methodist, taking on leadership roles at both Cedar Grove and Broadmoor United Methodist Churches. She extended her service in Church Women United, & Business Girls Inn. She successfully reared 4 God-fearing members of churches: Adele, Methodist, Wiley, Episcopalian, Diane and Ruth, Roman Catholic. Most of their 12 grandsons are church attenders, which was a great source of pride for Rosemary. She enjoyed membership in the Dental Auxiliary. She loved her P.E.O. Chapter B and only recently stopped taking an office. Of late, Rosemary realized a long-held dream of participating in a Bridge Group which brought her great pleasure.

Rosemary is survived by husband Bill, and their 4 children: Diane Meyrat of Dallas, TX, Adele Shafferman and Wiley Baldridge of Shreveport, and Ruth George of Savannah, GA. Also remaining are 12 grandsons and 14 great grandchildren.

Visitation will be at Broadmoor United Methodist Church on Wednesday, October 11, at 1:00 pm, followed by the service at 2:00 pm. Interment will be at Forest Park Cemetery.