Individual Details

Death

Frances Lee Thetford Del Rosso was born on November 7, 1921 to Walter Lee and Ruth Kelly Thetford in the small town of Wesson, Mississippi. She was the eldest of their four children. Her siblings were Ray, Christine and Betty Ruth Thetford. Frances' birth home in Wesson is still standing and occupied as is her elementary school. After high school, she attended Copiah Lincoln Junior College (Co-Lin), also in Wesson. Throughout her life she remembered her time in college with great fondness. Frances' life journey took her to the city she grew to love, New Orleans, where, after college, she worked for Bell Telephone Company. It was in New Orleans during WWII that she met her husband, Anthony N. Del Rosso, at an officer's club. In January of 1947, at the age of 26, Frances married Tony at Fort Dix New Jersey. After they were married Tony graduated from law school and went on to practice law in New York for more than 50 years. Tony and Frances spent the remainder of their married years in New York on Long Island where their three children, Linda, John, and Elaine, were born and raised. Although Frances lived in New York her heart remained in the South. Every summer without fail Frances and Tony drove the family for four days down to Mississippi where she and the children spent the entire summer with relatives on Frances' parents' rural farm. Those were very special times for the family. Frances was a true example of motherhood who was completely dedicated to her family and children. As a stay-at-home mother she was always there for her children welcoming their friends to spend time in their home. She was an excellent seamstress and made many of the children's clothes. She valued education and sacrificed much to assure her children graduated from college. After her children finished college and pursued their careers Frances found herself alone much of the time. Linda, her oldest daughter, made her home in Boise, Idaho, where, after her grandchildren were born, Frances found herself visiting for longer periods of time. She relocated to Boise where she lived for the remainder of her full life. During those years she cherished her time with her family, thrived on her many friendships, travelled, and became an accomplished bridge player. Frances was most of all a wonderful and thoughtful mother and grandmother. Frances is survived by her younger sister, Betty Ruth Currie, her children, Linda Hurlbutt (Guy), John Del Rosso, Elaine Hanson, grandchildren Sara Walsh-Cook (Joe Cook), Lee Hurlbutt, Nate Hanson, Colin Hanson, John Michael Del Rosso, great-granddaughter Katie Walsh, and step great-grandchildren Wesley and Isabelle Cook, along with several nieces, one nephew and several great nieces and nephews in Mississippi and New Orleans. Following a private burial a memorial service will be held at St. Michael's Cathedral in Boise on Thursday, March 15th at 2:00 p.m. Memorials may be made to Emerson House Employee Fund, Garden City, Idaho, Harrison Hope Hospice Foundation, Meridian, Idaho, or Copiah-Lincoln Community College Foundation of Wesson. Mississippi.
Published in Idaho Statesman on Mar. 13, 2018