Sunday, October 11, 2026
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Niece Jane Pittsley holds the door in 1996 while Rose Christmann, visibly shaken, is wheeled out of jail by Deputy Randy Smith.

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Don't tell her what to do!
July 19, 2026 1:05 a.m.

Don't tell her what to do!

'This is what I do. It’s what I am.'

A tube of “exotic melon” lipstick landed an aging Avon saleswoman in jail during the 1990s and launched a public relations nightmare for Coeur d’Alene. For eight years, feisty Rose Christmann battled for her right to sell Avon. And lost. But, for what it’s worth, she won her case in the court of public opinion.