Hong Xiang Rost Obituary (1959 - 2014)

June 8, 1959 June 19, 2014 Hong Xiang Rost was born in mainland China June 8, 1959. She and her family experienced the Cultural Revolution up close and personal as her parents, and later Hong herself, spent time being "re-educated" in communal living in rural areas doing farm work. Her family and many friends thoroughly enjoyed her stories of growing up in China. She later graduated from college in China in English Education and taught six years at Luoyang Institute of Technology before coming to the U.S. in 1991 to pursue a Masters Degree in College Student Personnel at UW-La Crosse. After graduation in 1994, her first professional position was at North Park University in Chicago where she served as Housing Coordinator/Residence Halls Director. A year later she returned to UW-La Crosse as Assistant Director of International Education. In 2010 she joined the academic staff at UW-Stout as Director of International Education where she served until her death by auto accident June 19, 2014. Hong assumed leadership roles in NAFSA, an international educator organization, and traveled and maintained uncountable relationships and friendships with educators, staff, institutions and past students from around the world. Hong was a "people person", and a "problem solver", who first won people to herself before asking them to follow her in her ideas. A simple mark of her success was that the international student population doubled in her four years at UW-Stout; and that faculty, staff and students responded enthusiastically to Hong's hard work, imaginative ideas, encouragement and help for them to pursue their own opportunities in international education. Hong married Francis (Rusty) Rost in December, 1995, and together they enjoyed nearly 20 years of devoted companionship. Rusty long ago concluded, as did Lou Gehrig way back in 1939, that "he was the luckiest man alive" for having married Hong. As much as Hong gave to her work, she similarly was wonderfully giving and loving to her family. Hong will be sadly missed by her husband Rusty, stepson Christopher and his wife Trish, grandkids Stephanie, Caleb, Micah and Noah; stepson Kenneth and his wife Deb, grandkids Emma, Abbie, Jessica and Aaron; her sister Pushan Rinnen and husband Klaus, and nieces Tessa and Lisette; and her mother Fan Qi and brother Qiao Xiang, his wife Qin Mao and nephew Yichen Xiang and many cousins, most of whom live in China. Hong was preceded in death by her father, Dunyu Xiang, in 1994. Hong's high energy, generosity, faith and sincere interest in people have left a permanent mark of inspiration in all who knew her. Of great comfort to many family and friends is that we will see her again as Hong claimed the promise of eternal life on July 22, 1994, when she accepted Jesus Christ as her personal savior. With great sorrow, but even greater hope, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith!" Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, June 23, 2014 at Immanuel Baptist Church in Menomonie, with Pastor Larry Borner officiating. There will be visitation from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Sunday at Olson Funeral Home in Menomonie and at the church one hour prior to the service on Monday. There will also be a Memorial Service at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at Faith Baptist Church in La Crosse, WI following the burial Oak Grove Cemetery.