Hi Theresa-rose, I'm sorry for your loss. Help Me Find - Roses (linked below). Click on the "Search / Lookup" in the menu on the left. When that page opens, click on "Rose Introductions" in the middle of the menu across the top of the page. There is a drop down menu of years below that. Select the year you wish and it will bring up the list of the roses introduced around the world for each year selected.

If you join Help Me Find as a premium member ($24 per year), you can use the Advanced Search which permits you to select numerous criteria so you can narrow the search to a smaller list of names. Do you remember if the contest she won was put on by a rose society, a business, a nursery, magazine or whom? I would think being in the 1950's, she probably named either a Hybrid Tea or a floribunda as those were the more popular classes of new roses.

Ironically, reading your post reminded me of the contest given by the San Diego Rose Society in the mid fifties to name a new rose created by Forest Hieatt. Mrs. Mabel Pllsbury won with the best name and was awarded ten bushes of Flame of Love. I hope it helps. Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Help Me Find - Roses

At worldrose.org there is a rose directory. Good luck!