Rosemary was born on a farm outside of Unionville, Iowa. There was a big blizzard the day she was born. The farm had horses, cows, goats, bulls, pigs, and chickens. The farm she was born in burnt down and then her family moved into the town of Unionville. When she was five years old she attended kindergarten at Pumpkin Vine School. Her cousin, John Harrington, would take her to school on horseback. Rosemary would see a horse trough and always tell cousin John, "I wish I had my dress off, I would jump in that horse tank." Rosemary went to first grade at Unionville elementary. She lived across the street from her cousins, Vera May and Margaret Ann. She always made mud pies with her cousins. The home was heated by a woodstove and the cooking was done on an oil stove. Water was pumped from a well. Rosemary had chores to do on the farm. She had to gather the eggs in the chicken house. A rooster would jump out at her everytime!