Rosemary Fry Ossenfort Brofos

Two Little Girls from Kissimmee Rosemary Fry Ossenfort Brofos

Publisher Marketing: In honor of a "forever friend" Artist Rosemary Brofos has created a tribute to her lifetime best friend Helen whom she met in grade school in Kissimmee, Florida during World War II. Still grieving for her 6-year old sister who died from diphtheria, Rosemary and her mother move from Illinois to the cow country of central Florida to live with grandparents while her father serves in the US Navy in the Pacific. Helen, the daughter of a genuine Florida cowboy, soon teaches Rosemary how to love and live on despite tragedy. The two share adventures in Kissimmee before Disney World and Universal Studios exist, times that were simpler without Internet, cell phones and video games. While the war raged on two fronts, the Atlantic and Pacific, Rosemary and Helen are impacted in little ways--wearing outgrown clothes, giving handmade gifts on birthdays or Christmas, growing a Victory Garden and watching news clips of the war at the movies. With the war always in the back of their minds, these two grade school girls are nonetheless rich with love from parents, grandparents and friends. This illustrated book is intended for children and parents/grandparents to read together, with grandparents reminiscing and kids learning about a unique time in our country's history. Filled with color illustrations by Rosemary herself, she writes about people who lived in Kissimmee during the 1940s. She also includes photos of the two little girls as they grow up, marry and have children of their own, all the while staying in contact with one another. This memoir is a work of love and testimony to the value of enduring friendships.