A service to honor the life of Mrs. Rosella “ROSE” Marie Moody Rushing will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, May 2 at Calvary Baptist Church of Natchitoches. Burial will follow at Calvary Baptist Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 11 a,m. until service time of 1 p.m. on Thursday at Calvary Baptist Church.
Rose Rushing, 85, and a long time resident of the Oak Grove Community in Natchitoches, Louisiana, passed away suddenly on Friday, April 26, 2024. She was born on Aug. 22, 1938, in Rochdale, MS to James Garland Moody and Margaret Frances Devereux Moody Rathell, and in her early years was blessed with an amazing Bonus Daddy, Ben Rathell. She was the oldest of 11 children.
On Nov. 9, 1956, she married her sweetheart, John Rushing, and together they had five children of whom she always spoke proudly of. After spending years raising her children, she went to work at Morgan & Lindsey Department Store for several years; then hostess of the Bunny Bread Store for several years; then worked for the Natchitoches Parish School Board for many years until her retirement.
During her years with NPSB, she worked for several years with kindergarten students, then spent the remainder of her years until her retirement working with special needs children. It takes a special person with a special heart to work with both kindergarteners and special needs children and she DEFINITELY had THAT Heart! She LOVED all her students and it was obvious they loved her too by the big smiles on their faces and the way they would brighten up when she was with them. Over the years, there were numerous occasions where her former kindergarten students, now all grown up, would come up to her and give her hugs and tell her how much they enjoyed being in her kindergarten class. Parents of her special needs students many times told her how much they appreciated her.
She also was a proud member of the Order of the Eastern Star rising to the position of Worthy Matron; and she also loved the years she and John spent in the CB Radio Club. She was a member of Calvary Baptist Church for probably over 45 years and loved her church family as if they were her own family. Everyone who knew her always referred to her as one of the sweetest, kindest, most genuinely caring ladies they had ever met.
She spent many years teaching Sunday School up until she could no longer teach because of the effects the dementia began having on her, but even then, she faithfully attended her Sunday School Class as long as she was able. She loved to sing and especially enjoyed being a part of their “band” as she and John called it. Although she loved all of these things, her greatest joy came from spending time with her children, grandchildren, family and friends.
She will be dearly missed by all her family and friends, and especially her great granddaughter, Ayyla, who considered her Mawmaw Rosie as her “playmate” and bestest friend in the past several years. You see, with Alzheimer’s, your mind becomes that of a child at times, and believe me, sometimes Mawmaw Rosie and Ayyla acted more like siblings with each other than Mawmaw and great granddaughter! There will also be a big void and adjustments to make in the daily lives of her daughters, Brenda and Teresa, as they have both given up their jobs and spent the past five years since their dad died totally caregiving for their mom and trying to give back to her just a small portion of what she gave to them over their lifetimes.
She was preceded in death by her parents, James Garland Moody, Ben Rathell and Margaret Rathell; her husband of almost 63 years, John Rushing; a son, Johnny Rushing; brother, Mike Moody; as well as a granddaughter, Ashley Nicole Rushing.
She is survived by her daughters, Teresa Rushing and Brenda Rushing Basco (Dennis); sons, David Rushing (Kathy) and Ben Rushing, all of Natchitoches; sisters, Carolyn Rathell Stewart Bruister and Debbie Moody Bridges; brothers, Bobby Moody, Pat Moody (Joanie), Tim Moody (Cindy), Dan Moody (Millie), Jim Moody; Gerald Moody (Joyce); and Terry Moody (Donna), all of whom live in other states. She was blessed with 15 grandchildren, Shaun, Timmy, Chad, Jessica, Melissa, Kylie, Houston, Laura, Bridgette, Jonathan, Angel, Brandon, Brittany, Dalton and Dustin; 23 great-grandchildren, Dalyn, Parker, Leo, Gypsy, David, Hunter, Kaelyn, Kaylie, Ty, Colby, Harley, Riley, Summer, Jade, Marilyn, Max, Jaxon, Caiden, Raegan, Austin, Autumn, Audie and Ayyla; five great great grandchildren, Brinlee, Bentley, Blayne, Paige and Everly; BONUS Grands, Evey Outlaw and Lathan Davis, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
Evey has such a caring and loving heart and was so much help and appreciated more than she knows over the past year.
Pallbearers will be Chad Rushing, Brandon Basco, Dalton Basco, Dustin Basco, Bob Moody Jr. and William Holman.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Bobby Moody, Ed Rushing and Jonathan Rushing.