VINTON – Mary Ellen Rogers, 82, died Thursday, September 27, 2018, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids.
Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 2, 2018, at Prairie Creek Christian Church, rural Vinton, with Rev. Kurt Brubaker officiating. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Monday, October 1, at Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home, Vinton, and one hour prior to services at the church on Tuesday. Interment will be in Bear Creek Cemetery, rural Vinton.
Mary Ellen was born August 10, 1936, in Vinton, Iowa, the daughter of Ray Merle and Hazel Fern Edmonds Geater. She graduated from Lincoln High School in Vinton in 1954.
On February 5, 1966, Mary Ellen was united in marriage with Richard Frank Rogers in Hannibal, Missouri. He preceded her in death on October 5, 1993.
Mary Ellen attended Minneapolis Business College and later became an Area One Hotel Restaurant Chef. Through Kirkwood, she became a nationally accredited Activity Coordinator. She was elected a State Officer of the Iowa Activity Coordinators in her first year of attendance. She organized the first activity group for the Benton County area, the Hawkeye Activity Coordinators Group.
She worked at the Prudential North Central home office in Minneapolis; spent 4 years at McLeod Publishing; and spent 10 years at the Cedar Valley Ranch. She was also a Matron for the Benton County Sheriff's Department and worked part-time at the Brandon Café and John’s Quik Stop in Vinton. For 21 years, Mary Ellen worked for Virginia Gay Hospital as an Activity Coordinator and a home health aide, retiring in November of 2015.
Mary Ellen was a member of Prairie Creek Christian Church in rural Vinton. She organized the volunteer group for saving the rural Bear Creek Church and volunteered there for many years. Along with Marlene Brown, Mary Ellen started the “Farmer’s Red Hat Group” of Brandon. She belonged to the Brandon Garden Club and Brandon Historical Society. She loved sports, serving as catcher on the Prudential softball team in Minneapolis and playing volleyball into her 50s. She enjoyed riding and driving horses, fishing, flower gardening, playing cards, reading and day trips through Farmer's Savings Bank. She loved spending time with her family.
Mary Ellen is survived by two sons: Kevin (Barb) Rogers of Cedar Falls and Zachary (Michelle) Rogers of Vinton; daughter-in-law Ann Rogers of Vinton; brother Lyle (Lillian) Geater of Vinton; sister-in-law Joyce "Rusty" Geater of Cedar Rapids; 8 grandchildren: Allison (Joe) Martin and Sam (Amanda), Emily, Robert (Angela), Elijah, Yasmine, Steven and Johnathan Rogers; and 11 great-grandchildren: Eleanor, Margaret, Lillian, Joseph, Alivia, Ella, Wilson, Jackson, Leona, Gabriel and Tate.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one son, Frank Rogers; and her siblings and their spouses: John & Irene Geater, Betty & Charles Linsey, Donald Geater, Dorothy & Melvin Yerkes and Zelda & Bill Bower.
A memorial fund has been established.
Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home of Vinton is caring for Mary Ellen and her family. Condolences may be left at vsrfh.com.
VINTON – Mary Ellen Rogers, 82, died Thursday, September 27, 2018, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids.
Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 2, 2018, at Prairie Creek Christian Church, rural Vinton, with Rev. Kurt Brubaker officiating. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Monday, October 1, at Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home, Vinton, and one hour prior to services at the church on Tuesday. Interment will be in Bear Creek Cemetery, rural Vinton.
Mary Ellen was born August 10, 1936, in Vinton, Iowa, the daughter of Ray Merle and Hazel Fern Edmonds Geater. She graduated from Lincoln High School in Vinton in 1954.
On February 5, 1966, Mary Ellen was united in marriage with Richard Frank Rogers in Hannibal, Missouri. He preceded her in death on October 5, 1993.
Mary Ellen attended Minneapolis Business College and later became an Area One Hotel Restaurant Chef. Through Kirkwood, she became a nationally accredited Activity Coordinator. She was elected a State Officer of the Iowa Activity Coordinators in her first year of attendance. She organized the first activity group for the Benton County area, the Hawkeye Activity Coordinators Group.
She worked at the Prudential North Central home office in Minneapolis; spent 4 years at McLeod Publishing; and spent 10 years at the Cedar Valley Ranch. She was also a Matron for the Benton County Sheriff's Department and worked part-time at the Brandon Café and John’s Quik Stop in Vinton. For 21 years, Mary Ellen worked for Virginia Gay Hospital as an Activity Coordinator and a home health aide, retiring in November of 2015.
Mary Ellen was a member of Prairie Creek Christian Church in rural Vinton. She organized the volunteer group for saving the rural Bear Creek Church and volunteered there for many years. Along with Marlene Brown, Mary Ellen started the “Farmer’s Red Hat Group” of Brandon. She belonged to the Brandon Garden Club and Brandon Historical Society. She loved sports, serving as catcher on the Prudential softball team in Minneapolis and playing volleyball into her 50s. She enjoyed riding and driving horses, fishing, flower gardening, playing cards, reading and day trips through Farmer's Savings Bank. She loved spending time with her family.
Mary Ellen is survived by two sons: Kevin (Barb) Rogers of Cedar Falls and Zachary (Michelle) Rogers of Vinton; daughter-in-law Ann Rogers of Vinton; brother Lyle (Lillian) Geater of Vinton; sister-in-law Joyce "Rusty" Geater of Cedar Rapids; 8 grandchildren: Allison (Joe) Martin and Sam (Amanda), Emily, Robert (Angela), Elijah, Yasmine, Steven and Johnathan Rogers; and 11 great-grandchildren: Eleanor, Margaret, Lillian, Joseph, Alivia, Ella, Wilson, Jackson, Leona, Gabriel and Tate.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one son, Frank Rogers; and her siblings and their spouses: John & Irene Geater, Betty & Charles Linsey, Donald Geater, Dorothy & Melvin Yerkes and Zelda & Bill Bower.
A memorial fund has been established.
Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home of Vinton is caring for Mary Ellen and her family. Condolences may be left at vsrfh.com.
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