Ernest A. Rousselot

Ernest A. Rousselot, an 86-year-old resident of 1323 Cedar St. in Trenton, and a former business owner, died at 3:35 p.m. on Monday, May 14 at the Wright Memorial Hospital in Trenton, where he had been a patient since Thursday, May 10, 2007.
The body was cremated. A Memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 17, 2007 at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Trenton. Father Roland Carbone will officiate. Burial of the cremains will be at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 18, 2007 at the Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa, KS.
A family visitation and the reciting of the Rosary will be from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at the church.
Mr. Rousselot was born on March 31, 1921 in Kansas City, KS, the son of Ernest Louis and Violet Elsie Wehmeyer Rousselot. He graduated in 1938 from Bishop Ward High School. He joined the U.S. Army and served during WW II. His battles included the invasion of Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation of Paris. He served under Gen. George Patton and was assigned to the 635th Tank Destroyer Battalion.
After his discharge and return to the states, he was married on July 12, 1947 at the St. Thomas Church in Kansas City, KS to Jean Diven, who survives of the home. After their marriage, they lived in Shawnee, KS, where he was employed by Western Auto Supply Company in Kansas City. They moved to Trenton in 1956 when they purchased the Western Auto Associate Store. He owned and operated the store until it was destroyed by fire in 1974. He then traveled for Arthur Fulmer Automotive Supply as district sales manager until 1982, when he purchased the United National Real Estate, operating it until he retired in 1990.
He was a member of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Trenton for 51 years. He served on the Trenton Board of Education for 11 years, serving as president and vice president. He was past president of the Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Rotary Club, served 15 years and was past president of the Community Food Pantry, was past president of the Genealogy Society and served on the first Grundy County Ambulance Board. He was currently a Master Gardner, was a member of the Joseph L. Norton VFW Post No. 919 of Trenton, was a member of the Genealogy Society and served on the board of the Community Food Pantry. He began his service with the Boy Scouts of America in 1946 in Kansas and continued his volunteer work when he moved to Trenton. He was active in all local and area Boy Scout activities throughout his life and in 1965 was awarded the Silver Beaver, scouting’s highest honor.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Carol, now Mrs. Dennis Nichols of Leawood, KS. and Ann, now Mrs. Richard Wright of Jenks, OK; a daughter-in-law, Jan Rousselot of Littleton, CO; two sisters, Claire Cooksley of Redding, CA and Patty Bradley of Tucson, AZ; five grandchildren, Justin Rousselot, Mark and Emily Nichols and Patrick and Peter Wright; and one great-granddaughter, Emma Marie Rousselot.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, Michael Rousselot; and three brothers, Edward, Joseph and his identical twin, Robert Rousselot.
Memorials have been suggested to the Community Food Pantry Building Fund at 1506 Oklahoma Ave., Trenton, MO 64683 or to the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Trenton.