The Rolsen clan: First row Karlen, Kaylen, black poodle Teddy and white poodle Tucker. 2nd row Len, Arlene, Kennan, Nancy, Ken Rolsen and Karen (Rolsen) Midlo.
“Arlene is my center point,” said Len. His words of advice: “Stick with it – don’t give up, and learn to give and take.” The gregarious Arlene complements Len’s quiet strength and gentleness evident in his acts of kindness when welcoming people into their home. Arlene is a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker United in Sugar Land. After 45 years of service, Len retired as CFO from Viceroy, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Electric Company. In the fall of 1953, they met at a dance held at Len’s college, Xavier University, during which Arlene was elected homecoming queen. Len left the dance alone because of all the hoopla of her being selected and photographed. They laughed at that shared memory. They met again in January 1954. “I saw him, once again at a dance, from across the room. His eyes, his kind smile and gentleness made him stand out from the crowd, and it still does,” she said.
Humble Beginnings Although they live in an upscale neighborhood, they were not born with a silver spoon in their mouths. Len worked long hours. “It was the way we were brought up.” said Len. “Do the best job you can. When you gave your word, you followed through.” “Life was not always a bed of roses. Len taught me early on that sometimes we had to do what was called FHB –
family hold back. That meant we were low on money, and I had to learn how to make ends meet until the next paycheck. When we were first married, we lived in an apartment. To afford the rent, Len took out the trash and mowed the lawn. We learned early on never to go to bed upset with each other and that a good night kiss was something we both looked forward to, and still do.” “We bought our first home for $14,500 in Mason, Ohio. Soon after, Len’s mom moved in with us, and I learned how to make Len’s favorite dishes,” said Arlene. “She was a great joy and shared so many wonderful stories about Len when he was a ‘perfect little boy.’” Over the next years while working full time, Len received his bachelor and master degrees from Xavier University. The Rolsens had wanted to start a family right away, but son Ken arrived five years later in 1959 followed by daughter Karen in 1961. Len received a wonderful job opportunity, and the family moved to Avon, Connecticut. “We loved our time in the East. Ken learned to ski there, a sport he still enjoys. When we first moved to Connecticut, we did not know anyone. The people seemed aloof, but when Len’s mom passed away, folks came to provide food and offers of help for our family.” Len also spent some time working for GE in Singapore and helped start a plant in that country. www.fortbend
.com • February 2012
15
Once again, Len’s job offered the family an opportunity to “bloom where they were planted,” (one of Arlene’s favorite sayings) and they moved back to Ohio, this time to Brecksville, a town close to Cleveland. There, Arlene began her career in real estate. “It’s never been a job. It’s always been a joy, one I would like to continue doing until the magic is gone.” After many wonderful years in Ohio, in 1984, after the marriages of both children, Len and Arlene had the opportunity to begin a new life in Sugar Land, Texas. Arlene’s father, Elmer Koch, came to Texas with them and was part of their lives until his death at 103. “He was such a joy and had such a positive attitude, never seeing anything half empty, always half full. Len was so good to my dad, watching football and talking politics with him and always making him feel so special. My love for Len grew even more as I watched the way he cared for my dad,” said Arlene.
Faith and Family Arlene and Len are members of St. Laurence Catholic Church. “Our faith has been what has really kept us together. The prayer that has helped me the most is a simple one – Jesus, I trust in You. We always start each meal with a prayer, and that’s when we pray for our family and friends. When we attend Mass and take Communion, we stand side by side. Being next to Len at this time gives me a wonderful feeling of togetherness.” “As members of St. Laurence, we enjoy doing a Communion Service for the seniors at Greatwood Retirement Residence. It is such a joy to be with these wonderful seniors, I sometimes forget we are seniors also,” laughed Arlene. For their 50th wedding anniversary, the couple renewed their wedding vows. A priest friend of theirs, Father Richard Gonser, requested and the couple received an Apostolic Blessing from his Holiness Pope John Paul II. A copy of the Blessing hangs proudly in the couple’s home. “Through the years, Len has always been there for me. He’s always been extremely supportive in anything I’ve wanted to do. He doesn’t say a lot, but when he speaks, we all listen. Much more