Rose Marie Noland (Billings)

Rose Marie (Billings) Noland, 96, of Independence, Missouri, and most recently Thrive Memory Care on St. Simons Island, GA, passed away on Thursday, July 16, 2020. Rosie was born in Downs, Kansas on June 1, 1924 in the family farmhouse. She endured the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. After graduating from Vermillion High School, she headed to Kansas City to do her part in helping with the war effort. She worked at Sheffield Steel putting nuts on bolts, then for Bendix handling parts for airplane engines. After the war ended, she and her two sisters all went to work for and retired from Southwestern Bell/ATT. She met her husband Tom at a 4-H hayride, and from that group of couples, they created Supper Club which met for more than 50 years once a month at each members’ homes for a potluck dinner. She was featured twice in the Independence Examiner with the story of their group and some of her recipes. She and Tom built a house on an acre of land given as a wedding gift from Tom’s father in Independence, MO and lived in that house for close to 60 years before moving to the Apple Tree Condo community of friends. After retiring from SW Bell as a Customer Service Rep in 1987, she volunteered at Kaleidoscope, the art workshop for children at Hallmark Cards headquarters until 2015, almost 30 years. She was a member of the Telephone Pioneers and went on numerous RV trips all over the country with other telephone company retirees. She was a member of First United Methodist Church on the Independence Square and served in many capacities including the handbell choir. She was a member of Knife and Fork Club and Jackson County Historical Society. In her younger days, she enjoyed fishing at Noland’s Point resort at Bull Shoals lake, planting flowers and a vegetable garden on their acre of land, sewing, and cooking. Her recipes for her assortment of Christmas cookies have been requested many times. She sewed most of her clothes and loved to shop for the finest fabric at Kaplan’s on the Country Club Plaza. After having a stroke caused by small vessel disease, her daughter moved her to Georgia to keep a closer eye on her. She experienced evacuating for Hurricanes Matthew, Irma, and Dorian in the four years she lived on the coast of Georgia. She slipped away quietly due to complications of dementia and COVID-19. She was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Thomas S. Noland Jr., son Daniel L. Noland, and sister Edna Mae Billings Schneider. She is survived by daughter Nancy Noland, son-in-law Dr. Todd Lucas, and grandchild Alistaire Lucas, in addition to her sister, Lucy Billings Soptic and numerous nieces and nephews. The family respectfully suggests memorial donations to be given In Memory of Rose Noland to First United Methodist Church, 400 Maple Street, Independence, MO 64050 or Heartland Hospice Memorial Fund at https://heartlandhospicefund.org/ A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, June 5, 2021 at the Speaks Suburban Chapel, 18020 E. 39th St., Independence, MO 64055. Burial has taken place in Woodlawn Cemetery. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.speakschapel.com (Arrangements: Speaks Suburban Chapel (816) 373-3600)