Rose was the beloved, red-haired daughter of Frank and Anna (Sullivan) Fitzgerald of rural Lyndon Station, Wisconsin. This rural area was also known as Seven Mile Creek.

She attended Normal teaching college and then completed her Bachelors Degree in Education at Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois.

On September 6, 1952, Father Kiernan, of Sacred Heart Church, married Rose to James (Donald) P. Finlayson of Elmhurst, Illinois, with whom she had four daughters. They raised their family primarily in Elmhurst, Illinois.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Don; her parents; sisters Iona Fitzgerald and Geraldine Kranz; her brother, Patrick Fitzgerald; brothers-in-law: Lyle Kranz, Maurice Larue, James Allen, Douglas Finlayson; sisters-in-law, Venita Fitzgerald, Helen Estelle Finlayson, Patricia Schmidt and Marnie McKee; nephews: Douglas Johnston, Lawrence Larue, William Schmidt,Jr., Travis Fitzgerald and Robert Deeds; and great-niece, April Deeds.

Survivors include four daughters, all of whom cherish their Mother, Colleen Kelly, Barbara Dann and Rochelle (Ronald) Rinker, all of Arizona and Mary Finlayson of Illinois; a step-daughter, Theresa (Thomas) Vondrasek of South Carolina; four grandchildren, Ronald Rinker, Kimberly Dann, Lisa Fournier and Paul Bratset; ten great-grandchildren; three brothers, Michael (Dolores) Fitzgerald, Francis Fitzgerald and Dennis (Roberta) Fitzgerald; three sisters, Cecelia Larue, Lucy (Lawrence) Barnes and Mary (Henry) Gonzales; brothers-in-law, Duncan (Margy) Finlayson and William Schmidt,Sr.; sisters-in-law, Patricia Fitzgerald, Dorothy (Roger) Bowen, Nancy (Arthur) Johnston, Margaret Allen (Paul) Cohrs, Constance (Robert) Watson and Margaret (Peg) Finlayson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Interment is in Calvary Cemetery, Reedsburg, Wisconsin.