Rena was born in Alma, Bacon County, Georgia. Like Pansy, she was accustomed to creature discomforts and could sense improving fortunes when the family moved to Bay Creek Farms and work with Ms. Olga Baker. She was enrolled at the Altamaha School and fondly recalls participation in community events including the Ten Mile Baptist Church and the annual 4 H Club Fat Cow contest where young participants entered cattle they had personally fed and groomed Rena graduated from Appling County High School where she was awarded the annual music cup for her cumulative vocal performance.

Rena then went to Georgia Southern College and where she participated succesfully in theatre, represented Baxley as a semi-finalist and talent division winner in the Miss Georgia pageant and, following graduation taught in a school in Alma, Georgia for a year. Moving on to broadcast media work in Savannah, she met met her husband Ron Gruneisen who was then a news anchor at WTOC TV. That work took them to San Antonio, TX and then to Atlanta, GA where Ron had several newscasts each day for CNN. Rena went to work with Dr. Clinton McCord, renowned oculoplastic surgeon and author.

The couple would move to Savannah, Georgia where Rena was employed with an Orthopaedic surgery group that has evolved with medicine and morphed into hospital based concerns. Ron died in 2007 and Rena became a permanent Savannah resident.

Rena married Michael W. Roush, Sr, also widowed from Carolyn Ann Ferraro Roush, in 2015, sold her home and together they reside at Burnside Island where they remain somewhat active in Roush's Delivery Service, an air freight delivery and warehousing operation founded by Mike in 1973.

In 2020, Mike served as Grand Marshal for the annual Savannah St. Patrick's Day parade with Rena at his side. They enjoy travel and family time.