Obituary of Charles O.L. Rogers

Charles O. L. “Charlie” Rogers, 99 of 4694 Lower West Branch Road, Iowa City died peacefully Saturday, September 13, 2008, at his home, where he has lived for the past 68 years. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, September 19, 2008, at Zion Lutheran Church in Iowa City, with burial at Memory Gardens Cemetery Visitation will be from 4 to 6pm Thursday at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be given in Charlie’s memory to Zion Lutheran Church. Online condolences may be sent for his family through the web @ www.gayandciha.com. Charles O.L. Rogers was born January 19, 1909, in Iowa City, the son of Owen and Carrie (Miller) Rogers. He attended country school at Rosehill School in rural Johnson County. In his youth, one of Charlie’s favorite memories was working for Dr. Scanlon’s dairy, making morning deliveries of milk to the Sisters at Mercy Hospital. On March 5, 1938, he was united in marriage to Emma Koehler in the church parsonage of Zion Lutheran Church by the Reverend Proehl. During World War II, as a married man, father of two young children, Charlie served his country by working at the Burlington Ammunition Plant. For nearly thirty years he worked for the University of Iowa in the Carpenter Shop before retiring in 1974. He didn’t slow down in retirement; he continued to raise apples from his large apple orchard, selling apples and cider at the farmer’s market. He and his wife, Emma enjoyed traveling all over this country, both coasts, and Canada. They were some of the first RV er’s to cross the country. From the days of camping in their car to those of pulling their fifth-wheeler, they loved to travel and see the countryside. For twenty plus years they spent their winters in Alamo, Texas, and a number of years in Florida. Charlie was a lifetime resident of Johnson County and a lifetime member of Zion Lutheran Church. He enjoyed the simple pleasures in life, he loved playing euchre with his family and friends, and took up weaving and “twisting strings” (crocheting) in his later years. Up until recent, he still mowed his own yard and would drive wherever he needed to go! His family includes a daughter, Carolyn “Connie” Lacey and her husband, Greg of Los Alamos, NM; grandchildren, Kerri Larson (Dennis), Kelli Slocum (Jerry), Christina Lacey, JoAnne Lacey Wood (Dan), and Katie Olso (Erlend); great-grandchildren, Brady Larson, Trevor Larson, Jay Slocum, Cori Slocum, Rory Wood, Ryan Wood, Lars Olso and Thor Olso. He was preceded in death by his wife, Emma; son, Richard ‘Pete” Rogers, and two sisters, Vivian Madsen, and Leona “Lela” Newmire. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service is caring for Charlie’s family and his services.