Holton-Joseph S. Rogers, 90,died Sunday, April 20, 2008. He was born on April 8, 1918, in New Orleans, Louisiana to Glenn and Martha A. Whittier Rogers. Later the family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, Topeka and then Leavenworth, Kansas. Joe graduated from Leavenworth High School in 1937 where he participated in R.O.T.C. He contracted polio as a sophomore and missed a lot of school.
His summers were spent on his maternal grandparents' farm southwest of Muscotah. After graduating from high school Joe joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and traveled to Washington state where he worked on Lake Chelan and also helped fight forest fires in the area.
He enrolled in Kansas State College in Manhattan in 1938 to study agriculture as he had decided to become a farmer like his grandfather, whom he admired. He graduated in 1942 with a B.S. in Agriculture. He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi honorary scholastic fraternity.
Joe then entered the U.S. Navy and following training at Northwestern University in Chicago he saw duty in San Francisco. Subsequently he went to the South Pacific and Australia where he was the communications officer on General MacArthur's staff. Returning to the States, Joe served on the submarine base in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine. He was discharged in May 1946 with the rank of lieutenant. Joe returned to Kansas and remained in the Naval Reserve until 1953.
Renting land near Muscotah, Joe began farming with his uncle Sid Compton. On a trip to Holton to the dentist he met his future wife, Dorothy Williams. After a whirlwind courtship they were married June 19, 1947. Soon after, Joe and Dorothy moved to a farm west of Holton in the Liberty township area and began dairying as well as raising hogs, beef cattle, and a garden. Their first son was born in 1949 followed by four more children, three daughters and another son. Joe and Dorothy then bought another farm northeast of Holton and the family moved in 1956. They remained there until 2000, sending the children to the Holton schools. Joe and Dorothy retired from farming in 1987. During his dairy years he helped start the Dairy Herd Improvement Association in Jackson County. He helped his community by serving on the U.S.D. 336 school board for eight years. He served as president of the board 1971 – 1972. Joe served on the board of the Delaware Watershed and helped develop the Banner Lake Reservoir.
He also served as a teacher, elder, and chairman of the board at the First Christian Church in Holton. Joe was proud to be a member of the K-State Alumni Association and followed their sports team and activities.
Joe was a life long Democrat, liking to say he was a "Franklin D. Roosevelt Democrat". He had a strong love of books, reading biographies, philosophy and especially poetry and often shared them with friends around Holton.
He and Dorothy enjoyed spending many mild winters in Houston and Rockport visiting their daughters, Joyce and Jean. Their grandchildren were a special delight.
Joe was preceded in death by his parents and by his brother, Bernard Rogers. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Dorothy and five children, Jay Rogers, Jean Goodwin, Joyce (Carl) Wheeler, Jeff (Marie) Rogers, and Jackie Rogers. His surviving grandchildren include Chris (Joanie) Wheeler, Lindsey Wheeler, Jeff Wheeler, Maris Rogers, and Grant Rogers. He has one great grandchild, Ryan Wheeler.
Funeral services for Joe will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at the First Christian Church in Holton. The family will greet friends from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Mercer Funeral Home in Holton. Memorial contributions may be made to the Holton Hospital or the First Christian Church c/o Mercer Funeral Home, Box 270, Holton, KS, 66436.