Rosa was born July 18, 1920 at Grandview Flats, just outside of Armstrong, BC. She was the last child to be born to Peter and Margaretta Ludwig. She had four brothers and seven sisters. Eight of the children, born in Germany, came to Canada with their parents in 1911.
Rosa started school at Hillcrest in Deep Creek. From 1930 to 1935 the family lived at Mara. Rosa had fond memories of those years at Shuswap River and Mara Lake, spending time with her sisters Mary and Margaret and her brother Joe.
In 1943, Rosa married Audrey Baird of Spring Bend. Audrey worked in the logging industry and later partnered with his brothers to include road building, gravel and ready-mix.
Audrey and Rosa had 5 children – Tom (Carine), Diane Norlin (Art), Verne,
Opal McManus (Doug), and Margaret. Rosa was kept busy looking after her family and her mother who lived with her for a time. Rosa would sometimes go to logging camps with Audrey to cook or just for a holiday on Shuswap or Mabel Lake.
Rosa is a life member of St. Ann’s CWL (Catholic Women’s League) in Enderby. She enjoyed reading and writing stories. She also enjoyed singing and sang in the church and other community choirs.
In their retirement years they travelled to Europe, New Zealand, across Canada and to the North. Many winters were spent in the USA. In the summer they spent time at Mara Lake enjoying fishing and swimming. Rosa loved the water and swam until she was 90 years old. She has had horses, dogs and cats.
Rosa has 13 grandchildren and shares her birthday with her oldest grandson. She has 17 great grandchildren. Rosa was the last of the family of 12 and she was predeceased by her husband Audrey in 1998 and grandson Jeffrey in 1997.