Laurette Rothschild Rosenstrauch

Laurette Rothschild Rosenstrauch October 10, 1918 Ð May 31, 2008 COLUMBUS, GA— Laurette Rothschild Rosenstrauch, a passionate community volunteer, whose family has lived in Columbus for seven generations, died at her home on Saturday, surrounded by her family. At her request, a brief graveside funeral service will be held at Riverdale Cemetery on Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at 10 AM according to Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, Columbus. The family will receive friends Monday, June 2, 2008 from 4 PM until 6 PM at the funeral home. The oldest daughter of Irwin and Aleen Samuels Rothschild, Mrs. Rosenstrauch grew up among a large family in downtown Columbus, in an era between the World Wars. With a generous people-loving spirit and maturity beyond her natural years, she attracted friends of a lifetime along her way. Having skipped several grades in school, she graduated from Columbus High at 15, entered Newcomb College in New Orleans, and after two years transferred to the University of Wisconsin where she graduated with a B.A. in 1938 at age 19. She was a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority at the university. When World War II began, she supported the war effort by working as a social worker for the American Red Cross in Columbus. That work ended when she married Lawrence S. Rosenstrauch on the first day of spring, 1945. They had met at her mother's home while he was with the Judge Advocate General's staff at Fort Benning. Throughout their long marriage, he continued "courting" her until he died in 2007 at age 95. Following the War, the couple resumed a civilian life in Columbus. He became an attorney and she became allied to many worthy causes. Among her favorites was her work with the visually handicapped, which began through a fund set up to purchase glasses for the indigent. Her involvement then expanded to organize and teach Braille classes that included volunteers who transcribed works for the blind using instructions from the Library of Congress. One happy result of this work allowed children with visual handicaps to begin attending local public schools rather than being forced to go out of town to an academy for the blind. As Columbus grew, her community building work continued. She was a charter board member of many local improvement efforts such as the Columbus Girls' Club, Friends of Foster Care, and the Juvenile Court Advisory Board that built the first detention home in the area. During the 1960s revival of Springer Opera House in downtown Columbus, she began historical research that turned into a lifetime project. By carefully reading local newspapers from the 1860s through 1930, she documented the history of the Opera House. Her research work, described as thorough, accurate, and extensive, helped convince others of the theatre's national importance; it contributed to Governor Jimmy Carter's decision to designate it as the State Theatre of Georgia. A recent book about the Springer, In Order of Appearance, by F. Clason Kyle, drew extensively upon her research, and was dedicated to her. Her intense interest in the history of her community led her, in recent years, to research and support placement of several public historical markers. These include ones about Columbus' First Theatre, and both Linwood and Riverdale cemeteries. She was a tour guide for the Historic Columbus Foundation and Springer Theatre. Through reputation, she developed a continuing circle of correspondents who inquired about various aspects of the community's history. She would welcome visits from writers doing research and host them with well-planned tours and her own brand of southern hospitality. In 2004, the Historic Columbus Foundation recognized Mrs. Rosenstrauch as an Honored Lady. In addition to her husband, her brothers Norman S. Rothschild and Alan F. Rothschild preceded her in death. Mrs. Rosenstrauch is survived by her two children, Ann Kingsbury and her husband, John, of Columbus and Lawrence Rosenstrauch, Jr. and his wife, Kate, of Leesburg, VA; her brothers, David Rothschild II and his wife, Barbara, of Columbus and Irwin Rothschild, Jr. and his wife, Barbara, of Los Angeles; her sister, Matile Rothschild of San Francisco; a sister-in-law, Mrs. Alan "Eva" Rothschild; grandchildren, Nicholas Rosenstrauch, Ryan Stanford and Lauren Novak and her husband, Ray, and a great grandchild, Madeline Rose Novak, all of Columbus. Donations may be made to Columbus Hospice or Historic Columbus Foundation. To sign the online guest registry visit www.mem.com.