Florence Frances Rodriguez

Florence Frances Rodriguez, age 95 of Iron Mountain, MI passed away on Friday, January, 28, 2022 at Maryhill Manor in Niagara, WI.

She was born to Florian and Margaret (Baer) Gretz, on August 27, 1926, in Cook County, Illinois. At the age of 7 her family moved to Sacramento, California, where Florence eventually finished the 9th grade before taking a job as a nanny in a home on an apple orchard in Washington State. At 18, she married Frank Geren, and was blessed with two sons, Tom and Ray. During this time she worked as a warehouseman for the Signal Depot, Department of the Army, in Sacramento, California. After 14 years of marriage, the couple divorced. She then married Elmer Frederick (Fritz) Fox in 1960 in Santa Ana, California, and was blessed with two daughters, Carrie and Peggy. In 1968 she was divorced from “Fritz”, married Isaac Rodriguez, and worked as a letter carrier for the USPS until retiring in 1985. After traveling much of the country, the couple settled in Michigan to be near his adult children, and then divorced in 1995.

Florence then came to live in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, at the cottage of her daughter Peg and husband Jim. She came to be known by their children as “Grandma Cottage”, a moniker which always made her smile. In 1998 she moved to Iron Mountain, Michigan to be closer to these grandchildren, living in a little house on the street behind Peg & Jim, where she enjoyed a very special relationship with them and their three boys.

In 2006, Florence moved into assisted living after experiencing a fall. She was still able to enjoy lots of time with family, flying out west for extended visits to her daughter Carrie's home in Washington, her son Tom’s home in Washington, and to her son Ray's home in Oregon. She was able to share in all of our birthday and holiday celebrations until the pandemic, and then during 2021, family was finally able to go in to Maryhill Manor to spend those special days there with her. She communicated daily with family via FaceTIme and Duo on her iPad, since she was really quite computer savvy for the past 30 years! A beloved Grandmother, Mother, Sister, Aunt, and friend, she had a great sense of humor, and her enormous giggles and beautiful smiles will be missed by all.

Florence mostly loved to be with family. She also loved to make stained glass pieces, to draw and color, do jigsaw puzzles, and any sort of brain teaser puzzles. She loved any kind of craft; knitting, crocheting, even a brief time weaving on a loom. Florence is responsible for our love of cooking as she was an awesome cook. She loved her cat, Katie Kitty and her Schnauzer, Indigo.

Surviving are 3 children; son Tom (Lori) Geren of Idaho, daughters, Carrie Dyer of California, and Peg (Jim) Merrill of Michigan; 7 grandchildren, Sean (Janette) Geren of Utah, Lani (Sean) Madison of Washington, Gene (Renee) Geren of Alaska, Richie Geren of Utah, Jack Merrill, Joe Merrill, Eliot Merrill of Michigan; 10 great grandchildren, Ashley, Ryan, Evan, Claudia, Anthony, Kaylee, Kirsten, Kylie, Ronnie and Cody; 3 great-great grandchildren, Lincoln, Allyana and Amir; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death are her parents; her husbands; son Ray Geren; son-in-law Charles Dyer; sisters, Helen Freer, Pearl Kjer, Evelyn Berlin, Margaret Barnes, Mabel Mullen, Ethel Dasso; brother Earl Gretz, and grandson Frankie Geren.

She was an avid reader. The Dickinson county library sent her five novels every week for the better part of 20 years! Many thanks to Julia and the staff there for keeping her in stories. Florence also had her Family Ties family and treasured her time with them. Donations may be sent in Florence's memory to either the Dickinson County Library, Book By Mail Program, 401 Iron Mountain St, Iron Mountain, MI 49801 or to Family Ties Adult Center, 1238 Carpenter Ave, Iron Mountain, MI 49801.

A funeral mass will be held for her on Friday, February 11th at 3:30 p.m. at St Mary St Joseph Church with Fr. Janusz Romanek officiating. A reception to celebrate her life will follow from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the PepperJam Yoga Studio, 821 Cedar Ave, Iron Mountain.

Friends may sign her guest book or send condolences at www.jacobsonfuneralhome.com