95-year-old Lubbock treasure Rose Wilson awarded Lifetime Volunteer Achievement Award

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Some people call her Miss Rose. For generations, hundreds of kids have grown up calling her “My Dear.”

But today, the Governor of Texas named Rose Wilson a treasure for Lubbock and a role model for the state as the First Lady of Texas handed her a Lifetime Volunteer Achievement Award.

We caught up with Miss Rose before her trip to the governor’s mansion to learn why this award is so well-deserved.

Rose was nominated by the Volunteer Center of Lubbock where Kaley Ifhe says they knew the competition would be tough. “There’s so many great people doing great things all over Texas. But it just highlights how wonderful she is.”

Margaret Randle is a board member of the South Plains Food Bank. She says about Rose, “She loves her community. She supports our community. And whatever she says she’s going to do, she does it.” Rick Cohen, another board member says, “I’ll tell you what, Rose is one of the most difficult people you’ll run into to say no to.”

Even at 95, Rose Wilson is a very busy lady.

When I sat with her for a few minutes downtown, she said, “I got two board meetings today.”

And that’s just a small part of her service heart.

She added that she also has a meeting soon after she returns from Austin.

If you ask Rose to name all the organizations she has been involved with and the boards she still serves on today, plan to stay a while. The list is very long and the years span most of her adult life.

After we talked, Rose was in a hurry to join a meeting of the Volunteer Center and one of its agency partners. We were not surprised to hear Kaley Ifhe tell us that Rose is a board member there too, a brand new board member… at age 95.

Aside from all the boards, Rose does a lot of community work too. She says she feels lucky to live close enough to the Habitat for Humanity building site because it’s convenient to walk there. She says she and two of her friends enjoy cleaning the houses when they are built and ready for a first-time homeowner.

More than anything, Rose says she loves helping young people and is not afraid to give them guidance…whether they ask for it or not. And she adds they are always kind to her.

Rose asked if I’d like to see the new suit she bought to go to the Governor’s Mansion. I’m so glad I went to her house. To see her hold up that new outfit and curtsy around the room was the best part of my day. She looked like a princess getting ready for the ball. You’d think dreams can come true at any age…even 95.

But Rose gives the credit to a higher power than the Governor. I heard her say, “Thank You, God, thank you Heavenly Father cause this is an honor. I don’t know what he got in store for me from here on. But I’m right here to do whatever he wants me to do.”

God bless Rose Wilson.

She is a Lubbock treasure.

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