Florence Edgerton (Edgerton) Rockwell

                Florence Edgerton Rockwell, 99, of Barnesville, quietly passed away May 3, 2018 at Walton Retirement Home.  She was born October 27, 1918 near Adena Ohio to the late Walter J. and Anna Taber Edgerton.  Florence lived in the Barnesville area for 98 years,  graduating from Friends Boarding School (Olney) in 1936, and from the College of Wooster in 1940 earning a lifetime membership in the honor society Phi Beta Kappa.  She taught science and math at Dennison Ohio public school, Friends Primary School, Friends Boarding School, and as a substitute at Barnesville Public Schools.  While raising her children and baby-sitting grandchildren, she was an active dairy farmer in partnership with her husband C. Franklin Rockwell.  Together, they managed the Taber Farm, founded Journey’s End Jerseys, and were active in several farm organizations, often showing their registered Jerseys at local County Fairs, the Ohio State Fair, and Jersey Field Day.

                Florence was a life-long member of Stillwater Monthly Meeting of Friends and Belmont Grange #889, and was an active member of Farm Bureau, Laurel Twig, and Barnesville Junior Homemakers Club.  She was very active in 4-H and Women’s Christian Temperance Union as a child and young woman, and she supported 4-H for many years as she coached her children and grandchildren through many projects. A life-long love of language, literature and poetry kept Florence’s mind active, and she was still quoting from favorite poems into her last weeks of life.  Other special loves included gardening, flowers, bird-watching, cats, chickens, hiking, traveling, picnics and her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  

                In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband C. Franklin Rockwell (in 1987), sisters Elizabeth Rockwell and Mabel Edgerton, and brother Louis Edgerton. Florence is survived by daughters Margaret (Richard) Roisman of Oakland CA, Jean (Fred) Cooper of Barnesville, Kathleen (James) Beard of Chagrin Falls OH, son Thomas Rockwell of Barnesville, and daughter-in-law Normie Rockwell of Belmont; grandchildren:  Daniel (Debby) Roisman, Rebecca (Ian) Armstrong, Justin Cooper, Coretta Cooper, Josina (Michael) Guess, Caleb Cooper, Keith (Judith) Reed, Deborah (Andy) Burneson, Roseanna Rockwell, Hannah Rockwell, Ezekiel Rockwell, Rachael (David) Stewart, Samantha (Emerson) Lowell, and Jeffrey Beard; 15 great-grandchildren, many dear nieces and nephews, and others who have called her Mom and Grandma and friend over the years.

                Visitation will be held on Sunday, May 6, 2018 from 3-7pm at Campbell-Plumly-Milburn Funeral Home, 319 N. Chestnut St., Barnesville, Ohio.  The service will be After the Manner of Friends on Monday, May 7, 2018 at 11am at Stillwater Meeting House in Barnesville.  Burial will follow at Stillwater Cemetery in Barnesville, Ohio.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Walton Retirement Home, Hospice of Guernsey, or Stillwater Monthly Meeting of Friends.

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