Rosa Norconk

October 7, 1940 - December 22, 2020

Rosa Norconk (nee Escareno) “BIG PERSONALITY, fun-size package” With heavy hearts we announce that our community sadly lost a pillar early on Tuesday December, 22nd, 2020 when Rosa Norconk received her angel wings. She passed away peacefully in her sleep at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, MI at the age of 80 following a hard-fought battle with COVID-19 and its complications. True to her character, she fought valiantly to the very end. A lifelong resident of Empire, MI and Lake Ann, MI she was affectionately known as Rose or Rosie. She was a student of life and had an old-fashioned work ethic. Over the years she worked at Café la Rue in Empire, Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor, Mistwood Golf Course in Lake Ann, for Jim & Dorothy Beckett of Traverse City, and finally, Stone Oven in Lake Ann. Born the remarkable number 13 of 15 children in Hart, Michigan, she grew up to live the American Dream of marriage, having a career as a talented cook and baker, building a little white house, and having a family of her own. Famous for mixing up names and pronouns, hilarity ensued whenever she called somebody by someone else’s name or called her female dog a “he” for the millionth time. Rose always had us in stitches! Rose’s favorite TV shows were Cops, Live PD, and The Hallmark Channel. Her love of donuts was only surpassed by her love of dirty jokes. She also loved polka music, Larry and Jacqui Fleis’s “Larry and His Larks” album is still loaded in the CD player of her Subaru. Rose wasn’t your typical 80-year-old white haired granny, she was high-speed and low-drag, always lighting up any room she walked into. She was proud to say she’d gone her whole life without ever having had a speeding ticket. We suspect she’d had plenty of warnings, but are pretty sure her famous baked goods and friendships kept her in the clear! Carrot Cake. Chicken Jalapeno Soup. Homemade Tortillas. Need we say more? In fact, this past October, Rose baked one of her famous carrot cakes for her granddaughter Sarah on her birthday. And on the way to drop it off she stopped at Stone Oven in Lake Ann to say hi to everybody and hilariously the cake ended up being “auctioned off” to the highest bidder! It brought nearly $100! Rose made a new carrot cake for Sarah the very next day. Rose was widely-known for sharing her delicious food, home, and heart. It gave her great happiness to regularly feed the hard-working crew at Almira Township Fire Dept. Her house always smelled of coffee and toast. And her door was always open, whether it be to her son needing a healing hand, her daughter needing a little help, one of her grandkids needing to recover from a stumble in life, or a friend needing a leg up. She raised and supported a lot of folks in her tiny, warm home. She taught many us of her well-honed craft of tortilla making, often slapping our hands when we weren’t doing it right. All our future tortillas will be in her honor, even if they are still shaped like states! Friends and Family would describe Rose as a fun, free and stubbornly independent spirit who lived life by her own terms and treated rules more like guidelines. For instance, she wore shorts year around, even in the winter while snow blowing her driveway! She was as beautiful and loving as she was feisty and loud. The word “tough” comes to mind. Never one to pout or pity herself, she wouldn’t have wanted us to dwell in grief too long. Instead, she would want us to remember her with a smile and laughter. Rose’s irreverent sense of humor runs in the family. Many of us inherited her humor and it is a true gift. Instead of crying while making arrangements we’ve been laughing until tears stain our cheeks cracking up sharing her funny stories. She loved without measure, her heart seemingly growing bigger and bigger to accommodate us all. Of course, it doesn’t mean we aren’t incredibly sad, but it’s definitely how she would have wanted it. We can close our eyes and just hear her say, “Stop crying and get busy you Jackasses!” Rose was preceded in death by her parent’s Panfilo and Chavela (Avina) Escareno, her brothers Ruben (Patricia) Escareno, Leo (Anna) Escareno, Joe Escareno, Rudy Escareno, and Charlie Escareno, her sisters Veya Escareno, Elia “Lela” (Salome) Belmarez, Natalina “Nellie” (Ismael) Ortiz, Susan (Alec) Esquivel, and Shirley Ornelas, as well as her brother-in-law Evaristo “Buddy” Vasquez, Mother-in-law Julia Norconk, Father-in-law Eldon Norconk, Sarah Schmidt, and many beloved nieces, nephews, and dear friends. Rose is survived by her husband Douglas Norconk, son Butch (Laurie) Norconk, daughter Brenda (Dale) Warner, granddaughters Sarah (Donald) Norconk-Alexandre and Chavela Norconk, grandson’s William “Bud” (Brittany) Waite and Peter (Darci) Norconk, and a great-granddaughter Kayleigh Keuhling (Peter’s daughter), additional grandchildren include Brandi Pringle and Tonja Stowe, and great-grandchildren Willow, Brennan and Rylen, her brother Jesse (Damiana “Diana”) Escareno, her sisters, Connie Hanes, Eva Vasquez, and Rita Ornelas-Murray, her brother-in-law Keno Ornelas, her sister-in-law Eva Escareno and Sandy “Nana” Escareno, her brother-in-laws Mike (Heather) Norconk, John (Christy) Norconk, Dale (Tessa) Norconk, Harry (Barb) Norconk, and sister-in-laws Carol (Roger) Roberts, Kristine (Al) Buchler, Jacqui (Larry) Fleis, Marilyn (Terry) Herman, and Janice (TJ) Johnson, as well as many loving nieces, nephews, and further. Rose is also survived by many friends far and wide. With special note to her lifelong best friend Marion Harriger (Boone, Skip, John, Melissa, and the rest of the Warnes and Harriger Clans). As well as her neighbors Jim & Teresa Miller, Jerry & Cindy Conquest, Randy and Doreen Fosgard, and Vern & LaKayla Streeter and their families. Rose will be dearly missed by her family, friends, neighbors, and all who her knew her. A sincere thanks to the top-notch team of doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and support staff at Munson Medical Center for all their love and endless hard work. We couldn’t have come as far as we did without you and Rose raved about you all. Additionally a heartfelt thanks to the first-rate crew at Almira Township Fire Department. Rose is in the care of Reynold’s-Jonkhoff and will be cremated according to her wishes. As expected, she left us marching orders. A Celebration of Life will be held in her memory, but only after COVID-19 has gone. After her memorial, her ashes will be laid to rest at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Hart, MI next to her late sister Nellie Ortiz. Tributes and condolences may be directed to her granddaughter Sarah Alexandre (Norconk)