Thomas Andrew Rogers Jr. |
| Posted 2017-11-05 by Pat R |
| Wickenburg Sun (Wickenburg, Arizona) Wednesday, August 2, 2017, p. A-5 Thomas Rogers Jr., of Yarnell, passed away on July 19, 2017, at the age of 78. Tom was one of eight children born to parents Thomas Andrew and Caddie Mae Rogers on Dec. 23, 1938, in Fayette County, Ill. Tom was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Barb; his sister, Roberta Doty; his brothers, Glen M. Rodgers and Don Rodgers; and his niece, Jennifer Knebel. Tom is survived by his sisters, Roslyn Hartman of Miami, Fla.; Wanda LaBounty of Lawrenceville, Ill.; Joan Ralston of Lafayette, La.; and his brother Mick Rogers of Beecher City, Ill. Tom has many surviving nieces and nephews, Bob Doty of Murray, Ky.; Barbara Smith of St. Elmo, Ill.; Susie Rodgers Tibbetts of Boston, Mass.; Joe Bill Rodgers of Cookeville, Tenn.; Debra Ann Lilly of Neoga, Ill.; Gayla Kimberlin of St. Elmo, Ill.; Crystal Haslett of St. Elmo; Phil Rodgers of St. Elmo; Robert Hartman of Ewing, N.J.; Susan Martinez of Miami; Scott LaBounty of Orange, Calif.; Todd LaBounty of Lawrenceville; Julie Pedersen of Black Canyon City; Jim Ralston of Lenexa, Kan.; Rick Ralston of Atlanta, Ga.; and Karla Rogers of Effingham, Ill. Tom had many friends in Yarnell, to name only a few: Nancy and Jim of the Cornerstone Bakery; Sue, who kept him laughing with stories from all her trips; Jim and John of the Yarnell Hardware Store; Rosalie, who besides being a good friend kept his home in fine condition; and last but certainly not least, Shannon, who was Tom's dear friend and caretaker. In 1980, Tom and Barbara Chaplin of Neoga, married in Jerseyville, Ill. For 25 years Tom owned and operated two bars in Mattoon, Ill., The Oasis and The Bottle Lounge. He and Barb, also owned and operated Broadway Bazaar Costumes. They moved to Yarnell in 1995 where Barb, with the support of Tom, wrote over 15 books. Barb, the love of his life, passed away six years prior to Tom's death. Tom enjoyed hiking in the mountains of Arizona, skydiving with his nieces, Julie and Susan, and exploring the desert for petroglyphs and other Native American artifacts. Tom was a very humble and compassionate man and helped countless people during his lifetime. For those of us who were blessed to know Tom, his dry wit, thoughtfulness, and generosity will never be forgotten. He will be missed by many. On June 30, 2013, Tom survived the deadly fire in Yarnell that took the lives of 19 young firefighters. He was forced to evacuate, barely escaping the fire. He lost his house and belongings. Having established a very close circle of friends in Yarnell, Tom chose to remain in Yarnell and found another home where he led a quiet, peaceful life along with his greyhounds, Blaze and Lucky. See Also: Find A Grave |
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