Rosemary Davison

ROSEMARY STRAUB DAVISON, 96 years, fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church, peacefully on September 23, 2014 in Prescott, AZ of infirmities. She was born August 7, 1918, to the late Adolph Straub and the late Josephine Hancock. She grew up in Ralls County, MO. Dear sister of Martha Jean (the late Al) Coonrod of Cheyenne WY, Anna Sue (the late Henry) Theising of St. Louis, and Richard (the late Rosemary Ebert) Straub of Prescott AZ. Dear cousin of many, including Beth (the late Bill) Fuson of Peoria IL, John Hancock of Monroe City MO, and Greg (Cindy) Hancock of Palmyra MO. Cherished aunt of Ann (Cary) Enlow, John (Lisa) Coonrod, Susan (Joe) Theising Eye, David (Kathy) Theising, Stephen (Sandy) Theising, John Theising, Andrew (the late Nancy) Theising, Samantha Roth, and Sally Straub. Our dear great-aunt, cousin, colleague, mentor, and friend. She married Leslie Springer Davison in 1956, and moved to Elm Drive in Florissant in 1958. Leslie died in 1975. Rosemary was a member of the Board of Freeholders that wrote the city charter under which Florissant still operates. She served as the city clerk for 17 years. She was the first female attorney from Ralls County MO and was a Deputy U. S. Marshal in St. Louis in the 1940s, where she met her husband. She will be most remembered for her work in historic preservation, having helped save numerous historic buildings in North County and beyond. She helped establish the Florissant Valley Historical Society, the Heritage Foundation, the Friends of Old St. Ferdinand, the Friends of Brush Creek St. Peters Church (birthplace of Fr. Augustine Tolton), Florissant Old Town Partners, and Historic Florissant, Inc. She helped establish the Florissant Valley of Flowers Festival and the annual historic house tours enjoyed by thousands each year. She has written multiple books on the history of Florissant and of her family. She was active in the Democratic Party. She served as a committeewoman for Florissant Township and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1984. She served in leadership roles with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Missouri Heritage Trust, the Landmarks Association of St. Louis, and the St. Louis Archdiocese Human Rights Commission. She was also active in the Friendship Force of Florissant. She traveled on goodwill and human rights tours to Europe, Asia, and Central America. A park and pavilion were named in her honor by the City of Florissant, located at the corner of Rue St. Catherine and Rue St. Pierre in Old Town Florissant. A public memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 18, 2014, at Old St. Ferdinand Shrine, #1 Rue St. Francois, Florissant, MO 63031. If desired, Mass offerings would be appreciated, as would donations to any of the nonprofit organizations to which Rosemary dedicated her life’s work. Interment of ashes will be at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Florissant at a later date.

Rosemary Davison

August 7, 1918 - September 23, 2014