Memorial Mass at the Shrine, Fitting for Rosemary Davison

A large crowd of family and friends turned out for the memorial mass for Rosemary Davison at St. Ferdinand Shrine on Saturday, Oct. 18 Msgr. Mark Ullrich, one of the four priests concelebrating the mass, said the location was a fitting one. Davison loved history, he said, and worked tirelessly to preserve historical structures like the shrine.

Msgr. Jack Schuler offered the homily at the mass. The Bible says that faith can move mountains, he said. “I don’t know about mountains,” he said, “but Rosemary could move houses.” Davison was behind the effort to have the house that served as the office of Old Town Partners moved to its current location.

Schuler also shared memories of Davison’s service to the church. He said that when his parish needed lectors, Davison volunteered, although she was over 90 at the time. “If you needed help, she would give it,” he said.

Davison was the first woman attorney in Ralls County, Missouri, where she was born. She then became a deputy U.S. Marshall in St. Louis, where she met her husband, Leslie. They moved to Florissant in 1958. She became the city clerk and helped write the Florissant City Charter.

She died last month in Prescott Arizona, where she had recently moved in with her brother.             –Carol Arnett

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