Dorothy Mae "Dottie" Rogers

Dorothy 'Dottie' Mae Ferguson Rogers, affectionately known as T-Dot by her family and friends - follower of Jesus, loving wife, devoted mother, faithful friend, and the most fun grandmother two girls could ever dream up - passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 4, 2024. She was 86 years old. Dottie was born on August 12, 1937 in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana to Marie Bernice Sonnier and Cullen Joseph Ferguson. She spent her childhood in Louisiana in Breaux Bridge, New Orleans, Winnfield, and Glenmora, and a few early years in Galveston, Texas. Her beloved New Orleans was home as a teenager, thanks to the Schwartz family, and she was a 1955 graduate of Alcee Fortier High School. After moving to Winnfield to be close to her brother Cullen, Dottie met her lifetime love, Larry Rogers. They married, their children Rhonda and Kent were born, and they moved to raise their family in Winnsboro and Gilbert, Louisiana. Dottie and Larry enjoyed the last forty of their 65 years of marriage in the home they created on 'the Brake,' their family's special place on Turkey Creek Lake.Dottie's deep faith was the cornerstone of her life, shaping her character and guiding her actions. Her relationship with Jesus infused every aspect of her being, radiating joy, wonder, and hope to all who knew her. She became a Christian at 8th Street Methodist Church in New Orleans and the Methodist churches in Winnfield, Winnsboro, and Gilbert were her second homes. Dottie and Larry were synonymous with Gilbert Methodist Church, as they faithfully served and lovingly cared for the people and the building for decades. Generations of children will remember her as their Sunday School teacher, and she was a Methodist Youth Fellowship leader and Caney Lake Church Camp cabin leader. Dottie created beautiful banners that still grace the church today, and thoughtfully decorated for holidays. She served as a delegate to the Louisiana Methodist Conference for decades.Her children were the lights of her life, and they stand in amazement and adore her in return.Although Dottie's mother died when she was only 5 years old and she even spent time in an orphanage, she had an innate, God-given gift of being a wonderful mother.Dottie's career in Franklin Parish included Martin Brothers and Martin House, the Ethan Allen store where she was a buyer and design consultant. After moving to Gilbert, she found the job that would define her working years, a role she was perfectly suited for - secretary of Gilbert High School. For 28years, she served and cared for students and staff like they were her own family. More than a secretary, she touched the lives of so many. She will be remembered as a fun trip chaperone, pep squad sponsor, club bookkeeper, bulletin board artist, concession stand manager, listening ear, and the cowbell-ringing ultimate fan of the Gilbert Football Demons.After her retirement from GHS, Dottie supported Larry as he built a freshwater catfish farm and helped him with the business for over a decade. Her contributions to the Franklin Parish community were many. She loved being a Pink Lady, helping create hundreds of stuffed bears for patients and coordinating the gift shop at Franklin Parish Medical Center. She ran the concession stand at the Gilbert Little League park in the summers and served as a Girl Scout troop leader. She was a member of the Gilbert Woman's Club and typed the treasured 'The Art of Cooking in Gilbert' cookbook. Dottie established the Franklin Parish Junior Miss Program, empowering young women to hone their talents and pursue their academic and personal goals. Beyond the parish, Dottie was a graduate of the American Youth Foundation's Leaders Institute and served as an Older Girls' Camp leader at AYF's Camp Miniwanca in Michigan. Dottie created a home in Gilbert that was the center of all things fun. Her house on Hanna Street was a frequent destination for local and out-of-town kids. Weekends were regularly filled with fierce competition playing card games like Nertz or Spoons, and the occasional snowball fight or bottle rocket war - with her often in the middle of the action. Lifelong friendships were born. Dottie found joy in the simple pleasures of life, including her vast collection of lady head vases, gardening, quilting, line dancing, jigsaw puzzles, crosswords and word games, board games, sewing, reading, antiquing, decorating, Jeopardy, and even occasionally deer hunting with Larry. If the LSU Tigers or the New Orleans Saints or Tom Brady were playing, Dottie was glued to the television and you could hear 'Geaux Tigers' and 'Who Dat' for miles. Football games in Tiger Stadium and the Superdome, and baseball games at The Box, were highlights for Dottie and her family.Never turning away a stray animal or one that her husband or kids found, Dottie's home was a haven for a nutria rat, a skunk, an owl, a horned toad, dogs found on the roadside and in trash dumps, kittens she adopted for her granddaughters, caterpillars, butterflies, and a host of others. Her precious cat Sheba and her dogs Shaq, Nola, T-Ray, Buddy, and Sugar were her constant companions. She fed and observed the hummingbirds, cardinals, and woodpeckers, and welcomed the orioles with grape jelly every spring, sharing the joy with family and friends. Her unending sense of wonder colored her life and she passed that treasure on. She marveled at the moon, stars, constellations, eclipses, and meteor showers. She never tired of jet streams and got a thrill watching planes take off right at the end of the runway. Watching and listening to the birds could fill hours on her front porch. Dottie introduced her closest friends - the 'Fabulous 5-6-7-8' aka 'The Fabs' - to Mardi Gras and quirky card games, and they enjoyed road trips, late nights, get-together lunches, sunsets on the Brake, and countless laughs and tears together. These women were blessings in her life and are treasured members of our chosen family. Dottie also cherished her wide circle of friends near and far, gathered throughout her life. Dottie poured her life into her two granddaughters, who each had an intimaterelationship with their T-Dot. She made memories with them at Mardi Gras, Camp Miniwanca, DisneyWorld, the Grand Canyon, on the Florida beaches she loved, and on fun-filled days at the log house on the Brake. Her cards, phone calls, gifts, and texts were highly anticipated. She rarely missed one of their performances through the years, went on trips with their groups of teenage friends, created Halloween and Mardi Gras costumes, and chauffeured them everywhere. T-Dot was a constant presence in their lives and her love for them was beyond measure. For the past three years, she has delighted in Emilia and Scarlett, her two precious great-granddaughters, who sang to her, blew her kisses, and brought her incredible joy.We are forever thankful for her New Orleans spirit in our souls, her Cajun and Scottish heritage in our blood, her Holy Spirit fire in our hearts, and her mother-love of people, nature, animals, and beauty in our beings. We hope to carry on her legacyher warmth, genuineness, carefree attitude, lack of pretentionher joie de vivre, her fun, her LIGHT!Living to cherish her memory are her daughter Rhonda Rogers Armor (Stan); son Kent Rogers (Andy Coakley); two granddaughters, Coco Dunaway (Jon Mallard) and Whitney Dunaway and great-granddaughters Emilia and Scarlett Kahles; step-grandson Peyton Armor; niece Rolanda Rogers Harvison and nephew Ralph Rogers; niece Lyn Ferguson Scott and nephew Tim Ferguson; and all the Sonniers, her dear Cajun cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband, Larry Truman Rogers; parents,Bernice Sonnier and Cullen Joseph Ferguson; brother, Cullen Ferguson; brother-in law, Roland Rogers; and sisters-in-law, Jo Taylor Ferguson and Joy Walker Rogers.Pallbearers: Don Barton, Randy Emfinger, Curtis Hilbun, Trey Price, Jimmy Price, and Ralph RogersHonorary pallbearers: 'The Fabs,' Dannie Sue Barton, Lou Broadway, Megan Clark, Reba Ezell, Doris Sanders; and Jeanette and Bobby EmfingerA celebration of Dottie's life will be held on 2 pm Saturday, May 11, 2024, at Gilbert Methodist Church, visitation will be 1 pm until time of service. Dennard First National Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements and details may be found at dennardfirstnational.com. Memorial donations may be made to Gilbert Methodist Church (P.O. Box 754, Gilbert, LA 71336).
Visitation
Gilbert Methodist Church
Saturday, May 11, 2024
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM, LA
Directions
Funeral Service Gilbert Methodist Church
Saturday, May 11, 2024
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, LA
Directions
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