Stella was born in Indiana, a daughter of Shelton James and Sentry Belle Kidwell Rose.
She had 7 siblings, Sarah Belle, John Albert, Fannie Marie, Millard Oscar, Stanley J., Harley Burnum and Deborah Rose. Her half-siblings included Barnett Chesley and Ethleen Shelton Rose.

After Stella was born the family settled in OH. In 1913 they lived through the Great Flood of IN and OH. The family home was saved when debris piled up against the fencing making the water go around the house. The home of her friend next door was washed away and the family was killed.

Stella Rose married Harold Everet Crist on Jul 5, 1918 in Covington, Kentucky. They had four children, Naomi, Lester, Dorothea and George. Dorothea and George died in childhood.

In the 1920's Stella was diagnosed with T.B. and lived for 3 years in Fairview Sanitarium in N.C. Her children were living with relatives in OH. and her husband traveled the U.S. looking for work to support the family. During her stay, she became friends of two girls, one a member of the DuPont family of Delaware. This girl's uncle, gave to my grandmother a monthly allowance. Little did he know she would live to be 95, and the DuPont Foundation continued sending her the money until she died.
She recovered from the T.B., but lost a lung.
Stella went on to raising her family, opening a photography studio in Baltimore City and retouching photos Harold took.
Harold died in 1948, and Stella and her son Lester continued the photography studio until 1950. Then she bought a farm in Carroll County, living there until 1964. We loved to visit. Mom worked as a nurse at Springfield State Hospital. After retiring, Mom lived with her daughter in Maryland in the Summer and in Florida in the Winter. Finally in 1971, she moved to Florida permanently. and would visit us once a year.
Mom died and was cremated in FL. Her remains were mailed to my mother via U.S.P.S. We had a memorial service for her in the Spring of 1995 and interred her remains next to her husband, and our grandfather, Harold.