George E. Rogers

As printed in 1905

GEORGE E. ROGERS.

An enterprising citizen and agriculturist of Green Bay township is George E. Rogers, residing on section 16. He was born in a log cabin located on section 15, of this township, October 7, 1858, son of Milward H. and Susan Rogers, an account of whose lives and genealogics appears elsewhere in this volume. He acquired his early education and early knowledge of books in the public schools of his district, and grew to manhood in the acquirement of useful training as an assistant to his father. In fact, this training began very early. When only eleven years of age he was impressed into the hard service of caring for the year's harvest, his one elder brother having suffered from sunstroke. It is to such duties well and courageously performed, however, that many a man, like Mr. Rogers, has been al)le to trace his success in after life, and often what appears to many as mere good fortune is the result of years of training in the school of experience.

Mr. Rogers made his home Ijeneath the paternal roof until the year 1880, when he was united in marriage with Miss Cordelia May Vogt, daughter of Samuel H. and Elizabeth (McGregor) Vogt. The father of Mrs. Rogers was a native of Switzerland, and emigrated to America when seventeen years of age, making the voyage by sailing vessel and taking twenty-three days to cross the ocean. He located at Nauvoo, Illinois, and was there married before the Civil War. At the beginning of the war he enlisted in the Sevent'tenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, serving his country as a soldier for the long period of three years and four months, four months of which were spent as a prisoner of war, and was for a time detained in the famous Andersonville prison. He removed some time after his marriage to Montrose township, Lee county, and in 1880 again removed, taking up his residence in Green Bay township, where he bought a small farm in the southeast corner of section 15. There he died December 5, 1899, at the age of sixty-five years and twenty-seven days. Mrs. Vogt was a native of Coshocton county, Ohio. She died February 22, 1903, aged seventy-one years, five months and twenty-one days. The remains of both rest in Beebe cemetery, this township. They were active and varied members of the Christian church, and were universally esteemed and respected. To them were born four children, of whom Mrs. Rogers is the only survivor.

Mr. and Mrs. Rogers are the parents of six sons and daughters, two of whom died in infancy. Those living are: Roy V., Cora E., Frank K. and Charles Bruce. The sons remain at home, and the daughter is the wife of William Sweeney and resides at Macomb, Illinois.

Mr. Rogers owns 185 acres of fine farming land, on which he conducts general farming operations and the usual amount of stock-raising. Here he has built a beautiful dwelling in the midst of fine grounds ornamented with shade trees, and has erected other buildings to meet the necessities and provide the conveniences of modern farm life, installing many improvements which combine the advantages of city and country. He supports the Christian church, of which Mrs. Rogers is a member, and in his political views is a Democrat, believing the policies to which that party stands pledged to be in accord with the fundamental principles of American government. Fraternally he has membership relations with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being Past Grand of the Wever Lodge and having served as representative to the Grand Lodge; is a member of the Knights of Pythias at

Wever and holds in that order the rank of Past Grand Deputy; and is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks at Fort Madison. He is a gentleman of unusual ability, is thoroughly informed as to topics of current interest, and is accorded a position of high standing and great influence in his community. Although of the most modest pretentions as to his own worth, he is everywhere respected for the sterling qualities of his character, and has many friends.

As printed in Biographical review of Lee County, Iowa; (1905). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.