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When he was about eleven years old, some boys handed him a dynamite cap and told him to light it and watch the pretty blue light. He was smart enough to use his right hand to shield his face. When the cap exploded it took the thumb down to the fingernail and the other fingers next to it down to the first knuckle off.. They had a picture and write up about it in the newspaper. When he told Birdie about it, she was shocked because when they lived in the country her dad had showed the family what a dynamite cap was and warned them about it.
Hal was introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by a girl friend. He played basketball with the Young Men's organization and their team won the regional championship and went to Salt Lake to play in the church championship games and they won.
Hal and his girl friend broke up and he became interested in Birdie May Cunningham. Several girls tried to get him interested in them. He was tall, handsome, brown eyes and hair, had a singing voice that sounded similar to Bing Crosby, the crooner. For some reason, Hal was not interested in the other girls. Birdie was shy, tiny, and to him she was the prettiest girl in church.
He asked Birdie to marry him. She said, "yes", but he had to have permission from her parents. They made a date to see her mom and dad and they gave their permission. Birdie's uncle sent her money to go visit Grandma Sessions before she married. She went to Utah, her grandmother bought material and Birdie and girl friends and cousin, Eva, worked on the quilt to make it for her. When Hal picked her up at the bus station, he put the engagement ring on her finger. He finally kissed her by winning a bet that he could put his fingers around her waist. He did this and his fingers overlapped. Birdie's waist was only 18 ½ inches. This was after they had been engaged.
They were married in her mother's home May 3, 1941. Hal worked at a paint factory in Emeryville. They had an apartment in Oakland. Winifred Rae Rose was born June 13, 1942 in Oakland. When World War II broke out, Hall's father, who was in charge of the Employment office in Oakland encouraged Hal to go to work in the shipyards. Hal got a job working as a sheet metal worker at General Engineering Shipyards in Alameda. Hal was a perfectionist. Things had to be within a 64th of an inch or he was not satisfied. He did an excellent job in sheet metal. He became a boss and could not finish his jobs, which he did not like and asked to be just a journeyman which they let him do.
We purchased a new home in San Leandro in 1944. It felt great to have a home of our own. In 1945 both Hal and his father went down to enlist into the navy. They rejected his father but took Hal. He was in boot camp in San Diego. Birdie got a job in sheet metal at General Engineering. Hal was then sent to Manila where he was stationed for around eight months. While there he had a load of mail fall on his back which caused permanent injury. He received an honorable release from the navy in 1946. He went back to work at General Engineering. Four days after he returned he became the father of a baby boy, Halmar John Rose III, born March 25, 1946, at the Naval Oak Knoll Hospital in Oakland.. Hal was conceived just before Hal left for Manila. Seven years later Thomas Edward Rose was born February 19, 1953. He was named after Birdie's two fathers. The Thomas from Birdie's father, who had died when she was a year old, and Edward from her stepfather who was a very good dad. Bryan Stewart Rose was born six years later on October 11, 1959, in Oakland. This completed their family.
Hal was very talented and a jack of all trades. There were a lot of family camping trips, Christmas displays, family vacations and going to church together. Hal was an artist, painting many beautiful pictures. He sang in the church choir. There was a lot of singing at the family get-togethers, especially birthdays, picnics, Easter, and Christmas. The children loved Easter Egg Hunts.
Hal went to work for Aladdin Sheet Metal and worked for them many years, but retired from Oakland Sheet Metal Company.
About two years after his retirement he started having strokes quite often. He was put into Washington Manor Nursing home for six months, then Birdie took care of him at home until he had another stroke and fell and broke his hip. After several trips to hospitals and nursing homes, he ended up at the Livermore VA Nursing Home. He was there for seven years. Birdie did volunteer service there so she could spend more time with him, working in arts and crafts, helping him as well as the other patients.
He was sent to a nursing home in Castro Valley. He spent three years there. His grandson, Jeffery, a returned missionary, set a goal to work with his grandpa to get a temple recommend. This was accomplished September 4, 1993. He was taken to the temple in an ambulance, the men in the family dressed him, put him in a wheelchair and he received his endowments and was sealed to his wife for time and eternity. Winifred, Jeffery's mother, was also sealed to them. He was also sealed to his parents along with his brother and sister. This was very hard on Hal. He sat in the wheelchair, you could see his face twitch with pain, his head would drop, but he used every ounce of strength to see that this work was done. It made him very happy.
The family had a birthday party for him a year later on his 76th birthday. Winnie made him a pineapple upside down cake, (his favorite). Most of the family was there. He could not speak clear and this frustrated him very much, but at this party he could speak clearly. They sang songs and he sang with them, he ate two pieces of cake and talked to all of those present. Tommy showed him a picture of his baby that was soon to be born and he wanted to keep it. He was very excited as Tommy had tried many years to have a child. Five days later he passed away on July 13, 1994.
He was a talented, wonderful and loving man who cared for others, provided well for his family and respected.