This is Rosa Bertsch Phillips’ family at their home on the Dixie Highway (25-A) north of Sidney. From left: Charley, Lena, Laura, Rosa (age 6), Pop, Olive, and Mom.

In 1904, March 27, Rosa Bertsch Phillips was born on a farm 3 1/2 miles south of Anna, Shelby County, Ohio, on the Dixie Highway…about 2 1/2 miles south of the Greene Ville Treaty Line. Her parents were John Bertsch and Mary Louise Kohler. They had eight children, Fred, Charles, Frank, Harley, Laura, Lena, Rosa, and Alice. Rosa…named after Rosa Foster, teacher at nearby Finkenbine School.  Mrs. Bertsch recently detailed her life in My Medicine-Show Man, an as yet unpublished work as told to Betty Fridley of Anna. Rosa and Eddie for many years performed in vaudeville, medicine show, and minstrel show performances. The following excerpt from the book tells of Rosa’s childhood and how her family brought meat to the table. She says it took four to five hogs a year for a family of ten.

"Every winter they butchered a hog for their meat, but the supply didn’t last all year. Butchering was a community affair, as was threshing the wheat and oats a neighborhood activity, also. The neighbors came in to help and stayed for supper. Of course, Bertschs returned the favor and helped them with their butchering or threshing. They had fresh meat from the hog that night for one big neighborly supper. Being a little girl, Rosa had to stay in the house, mostly because it was a gory mess and the weather was cold. Butchering was no place for a nosey little girl."

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