LaRue Rogers

LaRue Elizabeth Ledford Rogers, 92, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. She was born in Clay County to Van and Elma Ledford on Aug. 20, 1923.  After graduating from Clay County High School, she attended Young Harris College where she earned her elementary teaching certificate. 

LaRue married Ted Wilson Rogers, also a native of Clay County, in 1941 at Young Harris College Chapel.  Their two children, Ginger and Jack, were born in North Carolina.

In 1954 the entire family moved “out west” to Columbia Falls where Ted worked at the Aluminum Plant.  LaRue was a book keeper at the Bank of Columbia Falls for many years.  Ted retired from the Aluminum Plant and LaRue from the Bank of Columbia Falls.

She loved her family, gardening, cooking and sewing/quilting.  LaRue loved her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren ... spoiling them in any way she could. 

One of her love languages was cooking for her family and friends.  She was well-known for her banana pudding, chocolate pie and biscuits and gravy. She loved to cook her southern recipes which she learned growing up in North Carolina ... green beans, creamed corn, fried pork chops, fried cabbage, fried okra, fried apple pies. 

People would stop by her house to admire her flowers and vegetable garden.  Her shared perennial plants are now growing in other yards in Montana. In recent years when her garden out-grew her ability to eat and can the produce, she shared her bounty with the Columbia Falls Food Bank.

LaRue made countless quilts for all of her descendants, which they all cherish to this day.  She also pieced quilt tops for Columbia Falls Methodist Church’s prayer quilt ministry.  When her grand-daughters were young, she sewed them Easter dresses with pantaloons.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Van and Elma; her sisters, Carmen and Allegra; her brother Oleon, great-grandson Loic and her husband, Ted.

She is survived by her children Ginger L Severns  of California; Jack and Roxy Rogers of North Carolina; grandchildren, David (Tammey) Perry, Dennis Perry, Dean (Jody) Perry, Laura (Andy) Jones, Mark (Melissa) Rogers and Sara (Sam) Kavanagh; as well as great grandchildren, Tyler P., Michelle (Blake), Drew (Aurora), Tanner, Tiffany (Kelly), Aaron (Haley), Tyler E, Indica, Maranda, Kyro, Pyper, Amelia, and Nolan; and great-great grandchildren, Tyler G., Chloe, Maverick, Atticus, and Hazel in Montana, California and Oregon.

Services were held at the Columbia Falls United Methodist on Saturday, Feb. 6.

LaRue will be buried at Ledford Chapel Cemetery in Hayesville, North Carolina at a later date.