ROSE MARIE GABRIEL
Rice Lake, WI

Rose Marie Gabriel, at the ripe old age of 72 and with a large family scattered nationwide, decided to relocate from Wyoming to Green Bay to be near her beloved Packers. In choosing a residence her needs were simple: Find a place as close to Lambeau Field as possible. Her castle was an Ashwaubenon duplex, a short half-mile from the stadium.

Knowing not a soul, she only planned to stay for one season, but the allure of Titletown proved too titillating and she stayed for two. In those two years she was involved in more Packers' events than many lifelong residents of Green Bay were. It didn't matter if they were games or practices; if the Packers were there, so was she.

Rose Marie's obsession with the Packers borders on obsessive-compulsive. Whenever she left her home, she "had to" drive through the Lambeau Field parking lot. Besides having a piece of "Frozen Tundra" she obtained dirt from Lambeau Field. She placed some in bottles and some in cups, planting flowers in the latter (marigolds, of course) and gave them as gifts. No surprise, her guest bedroom was done in green and gold, right down to the sheets. It wouldn't be Christmas without her Packers Christmas tree.

Her passion for the Packers was rivaled by her kindness and generosity. When the Packers had their scrimmage games, she bought enough tickets to ensure that her family and friends could enjoy the games with her, opening her home to many, many guests. When the house was full, she set up as many as five tents in her backyard to accommodate the overflow.

It is refreshing to know someone who truly loves the Packers in good years and bad, able to find positive things to say about the team, regardless of the stats. She's genuinely a good sport, putting up with teasing that the Packers hadn't played well since she moved to Green Bay. Coincidentally, the day after she moved back to her hometown of Rice Lake, the Packers won. If Rose Marie was a jinx, and we are sure she wasn't, she would have been a good enough fan to leave town for the sake of the team. In her eyes the Packers are number one. In our eyes, Rose Marie is.

Submitted by Bill and Bonnie Monahan.