Rosario V. "Rosie" Dodson

CASA GRANDE - Rosario V. "Rosie" Dodson, 89, died on Dec. 2, 2018.

Mrs. Dodson was born on Sept. 15, 1929, in Scottsdale to Juan and Rosario Ochoa Valenzuela. She attended school in Scottsdale and Eloy through the seventh grade. She later achieved her GED and was certified as a nursing assistant and public school bus driver. She married Frank "Chito" Menchaca Jr. in 1947. They had four children, and her husband died in a car accident on May 13, 1954. For medical reasons, she and her four children moved to Altadena, California, in 1959. She raised her children and worked as a housekeeper, ironing at home and babysitting. She later began working at San Gabriel Hospital.

In 1967 she moved back to Casa Grande at the request of her children, who wanted to be closer to their grandparents, aunts and cousins. She was a school bus driver and then worked for Pinal County doing home visits and driving a medical van. After her children were grown, she married her longtime sweetheart, Frank Dodson, on May 25, 1973, and moved back to Camarillo, California, where he lived. In 1993 when Frank retired, they moved back to Casa Grande to be closer to family.

She loved spending time with her family and friends and was devoted to her Catholic faith, doing volunteer work for her parish in California and St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Casa Grande. She was very creative and talented in sewing, crocheting, quilting and most arts and crafts. She enjoyed and was very good at cooking and baking. She made many items for her family. She also enjoyed reading, watching old westerns and football and baseball games. She was very proud of her family.

Survivors include her second husband; two sons and a daughter, Frank Menchaca Jr., Lupita Baeza and John Menchaca; seven grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her first husband; a brother, Jesus Valenzuela; four sisters, Guadalupe Acuna, Altagracia Lopez, Mercedes Tapia and Eloisa Ragsdale; a daughter, Teresa Menchaca; and two grandsons, Jonathan Menchaca and Ricardo "Chapo" Tejada.

Visitation beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 7, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, with rosary recited at 10 and funeral Mass celebrated at 10:30.

J. Warren Funeral Services, Cole & Maud The Gardens Chapel in charge of arrangements.