ROGERS, May M. (Rabe) 1917-2011
ROGERS, RABE, DAVIS, ZIMMERMAN
Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 6/7/2014 at 18:37:10
May Rogers, age 94, of New Hampton, IA, passed away on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at her residence in Denver, IA.
May M. Rogers, daughter of W.F.A. and Emma (Albers) Rabe, was born May 24, 1917, near New Hampton. She graduated from New Hampton High School in 1934 and, while in high school, was a member of the Thrifty Tulips 4-H Club. She attended Iowa State Normal College in Cedar Falls, receiving a teaching certificate; and worked at Woolworth’s in Cedar Falls, where she met Kenneth F. Rogers; they were married in 1939 at Nashua’s Little Brown Church in the Vale; Kenneth preceded her in death, November 11, 1974. She was also preceded in death by her parents and her siblings: Louise Beck, Alma Pietan, Bertha Rabe, Edna Schmidt, Emma Hagedorn, Will Rabe, Henry Rabe, Ella Fredricksen, and Minnie Zwanziger, her identical twin.
May and Kenneth were the parents of four children: Carolyn Davis, Bertha Rogers (Ernest M. Fishman), Susan Zimmerman (Kent, deceased), and James Rogers (Evelyn); she was grandmother of ten: Scot (Lillian) and Charles (Chris), and April Davis Campbell (Bob); Jade Roth and Rachel Roth Silberman; Matthew (Christy) and Roderick (Sherry) Zimmerman and Elizabeth Heath (Rick); and Jay (Keri) and Eric (Kandy) Rogers. Her great-grandchildren are Sage and Leith Davis, Maddison and Darr Davis, Emmett and Solomon Campbell; Bronwyn Edwards and Delilah and Violet Silberman; Devin, Lucas, Megan, and Cassidy Zimmerman; Nile, Kendra, Amanda, and Aimee Zimmerman, and Dillon Heath; Beau and Jackie Rogers, and Alyssa and James Rogers; and one great-great grandchild, Illiana Rogers.
She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Ramona and Bonnie Rogers and by nieces and nephews from the Rabe and Rogers families.
May was a member of the United Methodist Church of New Hampton for more than 65 years; in recent years she was awarded a life membership in the Methodist Women’s Society of Christian Service. She directed the funeral dinner program at the church for many years and also cooked for the church’s annual chicken suppers and Advent lunches. She also led the D & R Cloverleafs 4-H club and participated in 4-H and Farm Bureau activities. In 1960 she and her husband and children were named Iowa State 4-H family.
She belonged to the Las Amigas Club, the Two-to-Four Club, and the Bassett Royal Neighbors Camp No. 1493 organization. She was a member and delegate of the Chickasaw and Iowa Democratic committees, attending local and state conventions and participating in the Iowa Caucuses. She served on the board of review for Health Care Manor/Kensington Place and was a member of the New Hampton School Facilities Committee; in earlier years she was a band parent. She also volunteered at the Carnegie Cultural Center and was a tireless promoter and worker for the Little House of Bargains (sponsored by the Methodist Church) in New Hampton. She served on the board of the Chickasaw Centre and was an enthusiastic fund-raiser for the organization and was a member of the Hawkeye Valley Area Agency on Aging.
In 1990 she received the Iowa Governor’s Volunteer Award; and in 1996 she received the first “That’s the Spirit of Community Pride” award, sponsored by the First National Bank in New Hampton. In 2002 she was named the Volunteer of the Year by the Chickasaw Centre, recognizing her commitment of more than 26 years to the work of the Centre. In 2007 she was nominated by the Chickasaw Centre for her many years of helping fellow seniors across the county; that nomination led to the 2007 MetLife Foundation Older Volunteers Enrich America Silver Award, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Points of Light Foundation and President George W. Bush, presented by Senator Charles Grassley. The awards included a trip to Washington, D. C., where she also met Senator Tom Harkin.
May M. Rogers, born, raised, and living her life on farms, had a long and rich life. She loved and was well loved by her husband and family, an inspiration to us. Rest in peace, Mother.
Burial will be in New Hampton Cemetery at New Hampton.
Memorials may be directed to the family.
[Source: Conway-Markham Funeral Service]
Chickasaw Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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