Jerry Rogers
Jerry Dayton Rogers, 82, of Orange, Texas, passed peacefully in his sleep on Friday, September 20, 2024.
Jerry was born on January 11, 1942, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was the second born son of William Dayton and Erma Bell (Petty) Rogers. He met Connie Marie Parker sometime during his wilder teenage years in Arkansas and they were soon married in August of 1960. As his father WD was in the timber business, he and Connie followed the Rogers as they moved from Arkansas to Sour Lake, Texas in the early 1960’s.
Jerry was a sawmill man most of his life, and he loved spending time around the mill and in the woods. He not only helped move and establish Rogers Lumber Company at its present location in Orange, but he also logged a lot of the timber that was cut there, re-built the sawmill after a devastating fire in the late 60’s, and continued to work beside his father WD, brother Johnny, son Vince, and eventually with his grandsons, Jeff and Cory, for many years. Even in his later years, Jerry still came in and worked hard every week, spending the majority of his time sharpening and preparing the saws.
When he wasn’t working, Jerry loved to garden and kept a huge vegetable garden for years behind the office. He loved to till the soil, plant, tend the garden, and pick his vegetables. He especially loved his fruit trees and berry vines. Jerry always appreciated nature and the beauty of the earth. He enjoyed fishing and traveling to new places.
More than all those things, Jerry loved Jesus and used any opportunity he had to spread the gospel. He devotedly read his Bible and memorized many scriptures and old hymns that he would recite in his sermons, as he preached for several years in his church. He greatly looked forward to the second coming of Jesus and dreamt of what Heaven will be like.
Those loved ones who have previously passed on are his father and mother, WD (Poppy) and Erma (Mimi) Rogers, and his only brother Johnny Rogers.
Among those left to share memories of Jerry are his wife of 64 years, Connie Rogers, his son, Vince Rogers and wife MaryJane, his daughter Kim Rogers and son Andrew Rogers, and his numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 3:00 PM on Saturday, October 5, at Claybar Funeral Home. Visitation will proceed the service beginning at 2:00 PM.