Rose Davis

Rose Davis Dec. 31, 1920 - Jan. 7, 2011 Rose Davis has left the building! Breaking her earthly chains; now soaring with the Angels. Well, at least one. Her mother, Angel who brought Rose into the world on New Years Eve. Rose was born in a grape pickers shack on a farm near Fresno, California. Her mother was only 14 years old and weighed less than 100 pounds giving birth to a 10 pound 6 ounce daughter! Angel was working in the fields at the time she gave birth, alone, her husband away attending his brother's wedding. He refused to pay the doctor who arrived after Rose was born telling him, "You didn't do anything. She's already here." Rose's parents were ethnic Armenians who had emigrated from Eastern Turkey during the twentieth century's first genocide of nearly 1.5 million Armenians. After a short stay in the Boston area, they made a slow arduous journey across the country, to Fresno, California. They found work as fruit and vegetable pickers. At the height of the depression, Rose's family moved to San Francisco where they soon entered the restaurant business. They struggled through hard times without the benefit of knowing the language. Rose started working at 16 as a waitress and didn't stop until her mid-seventies. At the age of 80, Rose decided to move to Boise to be near her daughter, Renee, the owner of Vigilante's Restaurant in Donnelly. Soon thereafter, a son Robert moved to Eagle and a year later, another son Raymond and his wife moved to Eagle. Rose loved the time she spent with Renee in Donnelly, especially working at her restaurant, where she met so many wonderful people. She drove up each summer from Cotati, California starting in 1994 and later from Boise. Her mounting health problems ended her sojourns to the mountains in 2008. But, it didn't end her involvement with Vigilante's. She called every day to get the food and income totals and kept a log for over ten years. Rose was a very practical, no nonsense person, someone you could trust with your life. Her children have benefited from her strong convictions and tight moral compass. Two sons had careers in the criminal justice system; a third son is a supervisor for a large grocery chain in Idaho and daughter, Renee. Rose was preceded in death by her parents, Myron (Pop), Angel, a brother Marshal and former husband, Ray. She leaves behind four children, Raymond (wife Birgitta), Ronald, Renee and Robert, two granddaughters, Kelly and Audie and a great grandson, Julien. A celebration of Rose's life will be held at the Vigilante's Restaurant in Donnelly, ID on April 16th, from 2 to 6 pm. All are invited to remember a remarkable woman and a life well lived. Goodbye, Mother. We're grateful for your love and your strength throughout our lives. We miss you dearly and know that we'll meet again. But, not too soon. The family would like to thank Summers Funeral Homes for their attentive care along with Boise Police Department, the coroner's office and EMT personnel who displayed a high level of professionalism and compassion.