Rose Wiley, 1931 – 2025  

Rose Wiley, born Rosagua Trujillo, of the original homesteading Trujillos, recently passed away at age 93, after living a long, fruitful life.  Rose married Robert W. Wiley, ranched, and raised six children, while working several jobs and serving as a devoted canyon volunteer.

She was the grandchild of Francisco and Manuela Trujillo, who emigrated from Sonora, Mexico in 1867, escaping a hard life under the policies of Emperor Maxmilian. After serving for a time as a ranch hand to Colonel Griffith on what became Griffith Park, Franciso moved his family to Topanga in 1886, so they could be near their friends, Jesus and Elena Santa Maria.

The Trujillos settled on a 160-acre homestead on the west side of Topanga Creek off Old Topanga Road and made a living ranching and selling the fruits of the chaparral that grew on their land.

Rose was born in 1931 and raised on the Trujillo Ranch with her mother, Cornelia Gomez Trujillo, her father Dolores S. Trujillo, and her brother, Dolores S. Trujillo, Jr. Rose loved the ranch life, riding horses and running wild in the hills. She went to primary school at what is now Froggy’s in Topanga, and graduated from Canoga Park High School. 

And where did she meet Bob? At the old Malt Shop, of course, as she worked the counter. A perfect 1950s story in her storybook life. They were eventually married by a Justice of the Peace at Santa Monica Courthouse on February 15, 1952.

They lived for a time with friends in Placerville, but soon came back to rent a home in Fernwood in 1953, where they proceeded to have 5 kids in 5 years. They were, in order—Marguerite, Robert, David, John and Laura. Driven out of Fernwood by the fire of 1958, they bought five acres from Rose’s Uncle Polito and moved onto the land in a travel trailer. It housed the seven of them until Bob built a 650 sq. ft. home out of 39-cent railroad ties—a home Rose lived in until her death. Since they loved kids, they squeezed one more—Jimmy—into their two-bedroom, one bath home. As Jimmy’s wife Serena notes, “Needless to say, everyone spent a lot of time outside.”

Rose saw that everyone had chores to do. And the kids were very involved in scouting. During the summer, Rose and Bob allowed their scout troops onto the ranch to camp out, hike the hills and sleep over. When the kids got older, they drove dune buggies or rode horses all over the ranch. Rose loved the activity, and became the Girl Scout Neighborhood Chairman for 1962-64.

She always remained active in her kids’ lives. Later in life, she and Bob thoroughly enjoyed watching Marguerite and David get involved with race cars. Rose loved NASCAR, and she and Bob went to Bakersfield and Saugus to watch their kids work on cars. Marguerite and her husband Pat raced their own cars or worked on other racecar teams. That excited Rose—to hear the roar of the engines.

As their kids were growing, Rose and Bob went out on date nights, dancing. They loved to dance. And Rose found the time to step out in other ways. In the ’60s, she went back to work. She got her license and became a realtor “for a minute,” according to Serena, though it wasn’t to her taste. She was more comfortable as a fine seamstress, creating dresses from the designs of Barbara Dobrin to sell in her Canyon Gallery. She continued on her own, even crafting elaborate wedding dresses. She earned an AS certificate in Agricultural Science from Pierce College to bring techniques back to the ranch, and even spent some time working in the Discovery Inn.

Meanwhile, Rose became a welcome mat to all in the canyon. Musician Tony Selvage remembers her as his “oldest neighbor” when he moved here in the ’60s. Rosi Dagit echoed that, saying Rose was “one of a kind” and “the first person” she met when she arrived. The tireless Rose was everywhere in the canyon. She volunteered for the Strawberry Festival, the Community House fundraiser that later became Topanga Days. The very first Topanga Historical Society picnic was held at Rose and Bob’s in 1974, when a plaque was placed on an old oak tree, marking a survey boundary for the Trujillo homestead. Rose also conducted many of the interviews for the first edition of The Topanga Story. And later she could be found volunteering at Topanga Library.

But beyond everything, her friends and family remember Rose as someone engaged with life, even after she and Bob lost their son David in a tragic car accident in 2000. And Rose continued to persevere after losing Bob at the age of 91 in 2010. As Serena remembers, “She carried on and took charge.” She would go to the post office each day to pick up the mail, but even more to pick up conversations where they left off from the day before. As Wendy Skofield, daughter to long-time Topangans Henry and Mimi Smith, put it, “Her presence at the post office parking lot will be missed.”

Her telephone calls were famous for their length and energy. At the Canyon Sages’ monthly dinners, she would call to diners as they passed by, asking after their lives and families. Serena says, “She was sharp as a tack, remembered everything about everyone and every place she’d been. When we didn’t know an answer, we always said, “Ask the General. She knows!”

Just as she lived her life, she passed away on her own terms. Hospitalized after a short illness she started to fail and the doctors wanted to put her on drugs—palliative care. But Rose was determined to say her goodbyes, and some of her family was still enroute, including some of her 8 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren. So she denied help until all who were able to, came, and each spent a special time with her. Serena says, “She lived on her own terms” and she obviously died that way, too.

Rose was buried next to her husband Robert W. Wiley in a private ceremony at the military National Bakersfield Cemetery located in the Tehachapi Pass. A Topanga celebration of life will be held later this year.

More information on Rose Wiley can be found through the topangahistoricalsociety.org

There will only be one Rose. And she will be missed.

By Marguerite E. Lally and Michele Johnson