Robert & Rose Marie

"We’ve been married 51 years," says Robert proudly as he sits down with his wife at the kitchen table to share their story. Robert and Rose Marie have been residents of their North Minneapolis neighborhood for 47 of those years together, and they are excited that Habitat has committed much of its energy and resources in revitalizing their neighborhood. Robert says, "It’s an unselfish thing to fix up homes and a neighborhood. Maybe people will come back to North Minneapolis now."

During the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Project work week, their home will receive some touchups from volunteers with the A Brush With Kindness program. Rose Marie is excited to receive help in improving the exterior of her home. "It will make me feel better that we’re not just letting things go." She looks forward to feeling pride again when she looks at her home, and to plant flowers to match the refreshed façade next year.

Rose Marie is a retired lunch lady, who spent 35 years feeding students in the Minneapolis Public Schools, and Robert, a veteran of the Korean War, is retired from working as an independent truck operator. They now spend their weekdays watching three of their great grandchildren, while their granddaughter goes to work as a medical assistant in Minneapolis. They have been generous in opening their home to their family, watching little ones when needed and offering a place to stay for their children.

Robert and Rose Marie have weathered the ups and downs in their neighborhood, and they are encouraged by signs of renewal in their area. Rose Marie acknowledges that North Minneapolis has gotten a bad reputation, but she holds on to the hope that it will be restored to what it was, "a beautiful neighborhood."