 1888 - 1970 (81 years) Submit Photo / Document
Has no ancestors but 4 descendants in this family tree.
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| Name |
Charles Roseberry Rogers |
| Birth |
2 Dec 1888 |
Pima, Graham, Arizona, United States  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Initiatory (LDS) |
11 Sep 1913 |
SLAKE |
| FamilySearch ID |
KWJK-3SC |
| Death |
15 Jan 1970 |
Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona, United States |
| Burial |
17 Jan 1970 |
Pima, Graham, Arizona, United States |
| Person ID |
I161535 |
mytree |
| Last Modified |
25 Feb 2024 |
| Family |
Gladys Haws, b. 8 Nov 1897, Colonia Juárez, Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, México d. 24 Mar 1973, Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona, United States (Age 75 years) |
| Marriage |
1 Oct 1915 |
Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States |
| Children |
| | 1. Walter Charles Rogers, b. 16 Sep 1916, Pima, Graham, Arizona, United States d. 30 Nov 2008, Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States (Age 92 years) |
| | 2. Clara Rogers, b. 1 Feb 1920, Pima, Graham, Arizona, United States d. 10 May 2005, Show Low, Navajo, Arizona, United States (Age 85 years) |
| | 3. Della Rogers, b. 18 May 1922, Pima, Graham, Arizona, United States d. 12 Aug 2004, Pinetop, Navajo, Arizona, United States (Age 82 years) |
| | 4. Chloe Rogers, b. 26 May 1926, Pima, Graham, Arizona, United States d. 20 Aug 2015, Littleton, Arapahoe, Colorado, United States (Age 89 years) |
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| Family ID |
F41099 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
21 Nov 2024 |
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| Event Map |
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 | Birth - 2 Dec 1888 - Pima, Graham, Arizona, United States |
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 | Initiatory (LDS) - 11 Sep 1913 - SLAKE |
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 | Marriage - 1 Oct 1915 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States |
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 | Death - 15 Jan 1970 - Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona, United States |
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| Burial - 17 Jan 1970 - Pima, Graham, Arizona, United States |
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| Notes |
- The little town of Pima, Graham County, Arizona, was less than ten y e a r s old when I was born December 2, 1888 to Bishop Joseph Knight Roge r s a n d Louisa Christina Roseberry. My Father was known as J. K. Roger s , an d h e had three wives and three families... Trying to make a new h o m e fo r three families in a new place with the Indians and U. S. Marsh a l s haras sing one was a very difficult matter. These, together with t h e f act tha t Father was the only Mormon Bishop within 200 miles, a mem be r o f the Leg islature, and general advisor for the Church members mad e m atte rs worse. He was the first Bishop of the Pima Ward. He was know n a s th e Fathe r of Graham County. As a member of the Territorial Legis latu re o f Arizon a he introduced and secured the passage of the legisla tio n tha t created t he County. At that time it included all of what i s no w Green lee County. He was born December 20, 1844 at Putnam County , India na, H is father w as Ross Ransom Rogers. His grandfather, David W hite Rog ers, was one of t hree who were selected to purchase Nauvoo. H e was know n a s “Doctor” in P rovo, Utah.
My Father was killed at the age of sixty-two in a street car accid e n t i n Douglas, Arizona on December 17, 1906. He left two wives and tw en t y ch ildren living, the youngest, Susanna Rogers (Costner), was les s th a n on e year old. Aunt Josephine Wall Rogers, Father’s first wife , had e i ght l iving children; my Mother, Father’s second wife, had te n living c hi ldre n and Aunt Mary Fuller, Father’s third wife who died s hortly afte r g ivin g birth to her second son, left two sons. All of hi s children we r e prese nt at his services except one, James Knight (Jimm ie) Rogers, w h o was in t he Philippines in the U. S. Army. Father was b uried in a pri v ate buria l plot selected from his homestead directly we st of Pima, th e t own he fou nded and helped to grow to a thriving tow n at his death.
My Mother, known all over the valley as “Aunt Louisa” was loved, a s t h e w ord implies, by all. No one had a bigger, better conducted an d mo r e rea l love shown than was at her funeral in Pima where she had l ive d mo re tha n seventy-five years. Mother did not pray in church, bu t sh e di d night a nd morning every day in her own four walls. Mother di d no t pre ach her re ligion, but lived it. Every one knew where Aunt Lou isa s too d on all ques tions, or how she felt about you. She never tol d anyon e an ything abou t a friend or neighbor that she would not tell h im to hi s fac e at the fir st chance she had, good or bad. She was nearl y ninet y at th e time of he r death and was rational up to the time sh e passed a way. T o show this le t me relate an instance.
Mother fell and injured herself. She had been in bed two months. I t a l k ed with her, and among other remarks I said, “Mother, you are ver y si c k a ren’t you?” She replied, “No, just lazy. Just think, I have be e n i n be d for two months. I should get up and help the girls with th e wo rk. ” I immediately drove to my home in Mesa, Arizona, about 3 ½ hou rs dr i ve, and had just got in the house when they phoned and said tha t she h a d pa ssed away.
My first recollections are of people and things in and around Pima, Ar i z o na. My first Sunday School, first day school, first people I knew , in c lu ding Mother’s and Father’s friends, my playmates, first hoein g of we ed s, first sunburns, first ant stings, first ride to the reservo ir o n a tw o- wheel cart Father had fixed up, first two-room log house w e liv ed in w he n Mother had five children and Grandma Roseberry came t o sta y with us, an d many other first recollections that I cannot rememb er now .
We moved from town to the reservoir, two dry, dusty, and in the summ e r t i me, hot two miles out of town. We were compelled to walk this dis ta nc e n ight and morning every day to school, church, socials, and man y ti me s o n business. In the winter time, it was cold and sometimes wet . I n o rde r to get to school by 9:00 A.M. it was necessary to start abo ut 8 :1 5 to b e sure of getting there on time. We did not need much exer cis e i n game s to make us healthy. And always chores milking cows, feed in g pig s, hoei ng weeds, and getting water from the well down in the wa s h abou t 200 yard s from the house. Our social life was almost nil beca us e of t he inconven ience. Night parties and many shows, church gatheri ng s if a t night, wer e missed.
In December 1896 I was eight years of age, and we moved to the ran c h i n M arch 1897. I had many experiences in commuting to school, churc h , so cial s, and work. School days we would take a lunch or go without ; a nd f o r a growing boy who worked hard, going without lunch was a ter ribl e thi n g to happen. We were always poor, and while Mother always sa w t o it th a t we had some kind of lunch, it was not always considered u p t o par wi t h many of the other lunches the children brought to school . On e day Mo th er put up some baking powder biscuits, without butter o r anyt hing on t hem; but she put in the lunch pails a small jar of molas ses t o put on th em. I was carrying to lunch, and at noon with a dozen o r mor e boys arou nd, I handed my brother Dave a biscuit. He haughtily sa id, “ I don’t wan t t hat old dry biscuit!” The boys picked it up, and h e was k nown afte r tha t as “Biscuit Rogers” or “Dry Biscuit Rogers”. As k any ol d timer o f Pima.
When Father died I was 18 years of age. Mother had two children at ho m e : Aunt Charlotte (Lottie) and Uncle Joseph older than I; three brot h e r s (David, Wallace, and Millard) and four sisters (Lena, Louise, Mar y , a n d Susanna) younger than I, Susanna being less than one year old . Wi th i n ten months both Joseph and Lottie married, which left me th e elde s t o f the children at home. I quit school and went to Globe-Miam i to wo r k i n the mines. I made good money, or thought I did, and sen t most o f i t ho me to help the family. It was one for all and all for o ne.
At this point I desire to tell of an instant that happened, which sh o w s t he kind of a Mother, Aunt Louisa was. In those days the Deacons g at h ere d up what was called the Fast Day offerings which consisted in t h e ma in o f vegetables, fruit, meat, butter, eggs or some other articl e t he fa mil y had and could spare some of. On a warm November evening j us t befor e su n down, Bishop Philemon C. Merrill drove out from town i n hi s buckbo ard w ith that month’s Fast Day gatherings. He said, “Siste r Rog ers, w e though t you were the proper one to give this month’s Fas t offer ings to.” Witho ut any hesitation Mother walked up to the Bisho p and poin ted he r finger a t him and said, “Bishop, since you have brou ght this ou t her e we will tak e it this time; but don’t you ever brin g any more t o us. M e and my Child ren can make our own way.” And we did .
A few recollections of my Father. One time he and I were going fro m P i m a to Clifton, about 60 miles. It took the afternoon of one day, t he f u l l day of the second, and the forenoon of the third, because of t he wa te ri ng places. We drove the the San Jose Canal, just east of Solo mon, A ri zon a and camped over night. It was about 30 miles over the mou ntai n t o th e Gila River where we stayed over night again, and by noo n we we re i n Cli fton. On this trip I learned a lesson about eating can dy. Fath e r bough t me some hard mint candy, and before we had driven te n mile s i t was near ly all gone. I became thirsty, and it was hard to s top t o ge t a drink, a nd so I thirsted for several hours; also, I got h ungr y befor e noon. It w as not good to gulp it all down in a hurry.
I learned that for one commencing a long trip with horses or on foo t , i t is best to take a steady gait and keep it up all day rather th a n g o fas t at the beginning and get all tired out quickly and unabl e t o fini sh. F ather also told me many instances that happened during t he s ettlin g of th e Valley and especially Pima. I learned why he entere d int o poly gamy. H e said that it was the desire of the Church that al l Bisho ps an d Stake Pr esidents enter into the plural marriage relation s. His f irs t wife agree d that if it was the desire of the Church she w ould comp ly. When Fathe r asked Mother to marry him, she said, “How doe s Josephi n e feel about thi s matter?” Father replied that Josephine wa s agreeab l e to it. But Mothe r, desiring to make sure, put Father off u ntil she c o uld talk with Joseph ine. Mother said, “Josephine, JK has as ked me to m a rry him. How do yo u feel about it?” Josephine replied tha t it was alr i ght. But Father als o asked the third woman to marry him . She did no t a sk Josephine about th e matter, and a lot of unpleasantn esses ensued . Au nt Mary lived only abo ut three years after her marriag e to Father , but s he left two sons who li ved to a ripe old age.
Father married Mother, Louisa Roseberry, and Mary Fuller both the sa m e d a y in October, 1882 in the St. George, Utah temple. Temples were t h e on l y proper place to have plural marriages performed, as they wer e co nside re d illegal by the laws of the U.S. Government. This was eigh t yea rs be for e the “Manifesto” of 1890 wherein the Church agreed to di sconti nue pl ura l marriages, but refused to give up the women they ha d marrie d befor e th e manifesto, and before the law had been declared c onstituti onal b y the S upreme Court of the U.S. by a vote of five to fo ur. Bitte r perse cution s followed, especially in Arizona. Many polygami sts went t o Mexic o to ke ep from being prosecuted. Mother was the firs t Mormon wom an to a ccompan y her husband to Mexico because of polygamy , but Father d id not l ike th e government down there and did not stay . He said, “I wou ld rathe r be i n prison in the U.S. than to be as fre e as they appear t o be in Me xico.”
I remember as a boy about 14 when the United States Marshall cam e t o o u r house and took Father away for polygamy, for living his relig io n as t h e Church authorities directed him to do. This not only kept h i m from e ar ning, but he was required to pay a $250.00 fine, and mone y wa s hard t o co me by at that time. Then they left him alone. There we re si x polyg amist s in our town, but Father was the only one they bothe red. I t appea red th at he was the only prominent one of the lot, that i s, poli tically. Fathe r could beat the Gentiles in politics, and this wa s thei r way o f eliminat ing opposition. Father stayed true to his coven ants an d vow s taken in th e Temples of our God.
I graduated from the 8th grade when I was 16, at least one year behi n d t i me, due to having towork on the newly-acquired farm so much of t h e tim e s chool was in session. There were five schools in the Valley t ha t ha d gra duates that year: Solomonsville, Layton, Safford, Thatche r an d Pim a. Th ere were so few that passed that they held joint graduat ion e xerci ses i n Pima for all five schools. An eighth grade educatio n was co nside red fa irly well educated in those days; not many got tha t much.
The only high school that was in the County was the L.D.S. St. Josep h S t a ke Academy in Thatcher. I started to attend the Academy, but th e extr e m e effort entailed, together with the fact that I was needed o n the fa r m, caused me to stop before Christmas. I walked the two mile s to to w n i n the morning and would get in a buggy and ride the six mil es to Th at cher; then in the evening ride back to Pima and walk the tw o miles ou t t o th e reservoir, do the chores and crawl into bed for hap py dreams , fo r the a ctual outlook seemed long, hard and uncertain.
During the next few years I tried other ways to get more schoolin g a t t h e Academy; I got two years of high school during the next six y ears . T wo, three or four of us boys would rent a room in Thatcher. We w oul d ei the r get someone to take us up there Sunday evening or walk; a n d I walke d mo re than half of the time, and carried most of what we h a d to eat dur ing t he week, and then walk back Friday evening; and tho s e eight miles s ometim es seemed endless.
My Academy social life was almost nil, worse than my town affair, bec a u s e they held most of their dances and other entertainments on Frida y n ig ht. The dances in those days usually lasted until about two A.M. , an d w alk ing that eight miles after that time of night made the pric e of s tayi ng t oo high in most instances. Because of these experiences , and th e fa ct th at not more than half of the Pima Elementary School g raduate s atten ded th e Academy for more schooling, while nearly 100 per cent o f the That cher st udents attended, has made me an advocate of loc ating t he school s as clos e as possible to the homes of the students: e lementar y, high sc hool, an d colleges, even if it does cost the tax pay ers mor e money. I t costs th e students less and more get an education . A bette r educatio n because th e parents can influence them longer per iods of th e day. Th e parents like wise can partake of the school and sc hool life m ore in abu ndance. The la st year I attended the Academy, Unc le Dave Roge rs and I l ived in a 10x1 0 tent that we pitched on James A . Duke’s lot w est of That cher. It was l ocated so that we could slip i n from the railr oad, or th e back way, and n ot be seen carrying our pac ks on our backs i n and out. It took me unti l the Spring of 1911 to ge t a certificate show ing tha t I could keep books, type and take dictatio n. I could take abou t 75 wo rds a minute and typ e around 35. My bookkee ping was fair, but th e onl y time it came in use w as when I kept the No rthern States Missio n book s in 1913 and 1914 in Chic ago, and while I w as Stake Clerk of th e Mt. Gr aham Stake. Of course, a k nowledge of thi s kind is always usefu l in one ’s own business. My typin g knowledge ha s been useful all my pro fessiona l years. The shorthand I l ost quick.
I was twenty-four past when I went on my Mission in August, 1913. A n d t w enty-six years and nearly ten months of age when my sweetheart o f a bou t t hree years met me in Salt Lake City, Utah where we were marri ed i n th e Sa lt Lake Temple for time and all eternity, October 1st, 191 5 – a nd Gl ady s Haws became Gladys Haws Rogers. I only hope and pray th at th e addi tio n has really added and not detracted from her otherwis e possib ilitie s an d accomplishments.
We, or I, was in debt for part of my mission expense and the expen s e o f G ladys coming to SLC, and other incidentals. Right here let me g iv e s om e good advice to my grandsons: at least give your fiancee a goo d r ing, ev en if you have to borrow the money to get it, or purchase i t on t ime; the n take a honeymoon, even a short one, even if you are req uired t o b orro w the money to do it. But, here is the proper catch to t his, le t he r kno w what you are doing about your money matters, then sh e will w illin gly he lp to save to pay it back. This will be one of th e best fina ncia l experi ences of your life time, but be honest. Glady s Haws came th roug h lik e a Princess, which she is, and she has been do ing more than h er sh are fo r nearly fifty years, and will continue as l ong as life last s. Ho nesty, hard work and thriftiness conquers all.
If you live the Gospel, by serving in capacities requested, paying tit h i n g and offerings, keeping the Sabbath Day holy, don’t be afraid to i nv e s t in a home, solid investments, after praying about it, and necess iti e s a nd an education. We have practiced this, and now in our 50th ye a r o f mar riage, after starting in debt of over $500.00, we are able t o f inan ce ou r fourth mission (explained later) and not deplete our fin ance s a t all.
Before I went on my mission I served as Ward Teacher with older me n w h e n I was a Deacon, Sunday School teacher and Stake MIA secretary . Aft e r c oming home I was Sunday School teacher over 30 years, MIA tea cher , Yo un g Men ward president, President 1st Quorum of Elders, one o f th e Seve n Pr esidents of the 89th Quorum of Seventy, Secretary of th e Hig h Priest s Quo rum, Stake Genealogical chairman, Stake MIA Board me mber , head War d teach er, building committee member, and Stake Clerk o f th e Mt. Graha m Stake a t a time when there were no assistants. As Sta ke Cl erk it appe ared tha t I acted more as a Councilor than as Clerk, b ecaus e I interview ed peopl e for Stake positions, held Ward conferences , an d entertained th e Genera l Authorities in our home when they were a ttend ing Stake confere nces in o ur Stake, which we both enjoyed. The cr ownin g position, Church wise, is t hat of being an ordained temple worke r. I h ave had some kin d of Church p osition for more than 60 years.
Our first mission was served in Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisco n s i n mostly during 1913, 1914, and 1915. Our second mission was whe n o u r so n Walter was out in 1934, 1935 and 1936. He was District Presi de n t in Sc ranton, Pennsylvania, where we are serving part of our fourt h m is sion. O ur third mission was to the Pima Indians at San Tan (Sacat on ) o n the Gil a River 25 miles directly south of Mesa, Arizona in Mes a St ake. I serve d as President of the Branch all the time without counc ilor s o r clerk.
I told the Brethren and audience at the time I was released that I se r v e d 1958, 1959 and 1960 as Branch President, three years; and as 1s t Co un ci lor 1958, 1959 and 1960, three years, six years; 1958, 1959 an d 196 0 a s 2 nd Councilor, three years, nine years; 1959, 1959 and 196 0 as Bra nc h cler k, three years, twelve years in all. I thought that wh en we ca m e home fr om the Reservation that we had served our time excep t to War d t each or g o to the Temple; but here we are, March, 1965 o n a missio n toge ther in Sc ranton, Pa., where Walter served 30 years ag o. When thi s miss ion will en d, or where we will work, is in the hand s of our super iors an d the good L ord.
There are very few people that has had a wider variety of jobs, posit i o n s or services, both in the Church and out than I have had. There a r e f e w kinds of jobs, positions or services that I have not experience d : rou g h jobs, hard jobs, dirty jobs, menial jobs, lonely jobs, pleasa n t jobs, p oor-paying jobs, honorable jobs, office jobs, store jobs, tea ch ing jo bs, janitorial jobs, elected jobs, and appointed jobs. I have p ion eere d i n that I have grubbed stumps, dug ditches, levelled land, bu il t reser voir s, dug wells, plowed new and old land, planted and harves te d most ki nds o f crops, farm and orchard. I have worked on the bailer , t hreshin g macine, and harvesters. I have pitched hay, bucked bales, s acke d grai n, and st acked hay and grain. I have worked in the mines o f Arizo na. I have work ed in the logging camps and in the timber and aro und sa w m ills, grist mil ls, and planning mills. I have gone into the m ountai n fo r lumber and tim bers and wood. I have camped out in all kind s of we athe r and many undesi rable places, together with pleasant hunti ng or ca mping -out conditions. I always liked to hunt rabbits, quail, du cks or de er, but never like d to fish too well, perhaps it was becaus e I could no t c ompete with other s.
The first year after we were married I tried farming, the next yea r I w o r ked in a general mercantile store in Pima, then a year on a dai ry i n Mi am i, Arizona. I got the job as janitor of the Pima Public Scho ols c omme nci ng with the school term of 1918. This job I held for six y ears . I a dde d the janitor’s job for the Church, also that of Constabl e an d Town M arsh all of Pima for two years, and Justice of the Peace tw o yea rs. Duri ng th e time I was janitor I observed the school teachers , and c onsidere d tha t if one did not have to know any more than they s eemed t o know, I just a s well be a school teacher’ so I went up to th e County S eat an d passed th e required examination and secured my certi ficate to t each. I taught sch ool in Pima for three years. While teachin g I had th e ch ance to observ e the lawyers and considered that if one d id not hav e to k now any more th an they seemed to know, I just as wel l be a lawyer ; s o I went to Phoenix, Arizona and passed the Bar examina tion in Novemb e r 1925 and have bee n a licensed lawyer since that time . I was nearl y 3 0 years of age whe n I started my public life, and her e are the offic es a nd time of servic e of each. Janitor, 6 years; Const able, 2 years; T ow n Marshall, 2 years; Justice of the Peace, 2 years; s chool teacher , 3 ye ars; Clerk of the To wn of Pima, 25 years; County At torney of Grah am Coun ty, Arizona, 12 years; and Assistant Attorney Gene ral of the Stat e of Ar izona 4 years. I am n early 77 at the time of thi s writing. Doe s it ad d up right? Try it an d see. It happened that way.
I was able to accomplish these things with only two years of high sc h o o l formal education, but that generation has passed and now a forma l d eg re e is necessary in all walks of life. I have considered my law e xper ie nc e has broadened me and made it possible to render better servi ce fo r m y C hurch and community and country.
A few firsts. I was the first of my Father’s children to go on a mis s i o n for the Church. I was the first of my Father’s children, althoug h t h er e were eleven older than I, to be married and sealed in the Temp le . I wa s the first person that was born in Pima or Graham County to be c o me a law yer. I was the first Graham County born person to be electe d C o unty Atto rney of Graham County, Arizona. I was the first person ev er e l ected thre e straight times as County Attorney of Graham County, a nd m y 1 2 years a s County Attorney has set a record not equaled in Ariz ona . I w as the fir st male born person in Pima to teach school in Pima . I w as th e first ma n to become janitor of the school and for many yea rs hel d it l onger tha n anyone else. I was the first native born Pimait e to se rve i n the Attor ney General's office of the State of Arizona. M y son, W alter, was my Fat her’s first grandson to go on a mission and th e first t o bec ome a lawyer. There may be other firsts, but they don’t c ome to m y min d except one t hat I claim (?); and since they are there a nd I have n’t he ard of anyone e lse claiming it, I might as well. Durin g the 60 ye ar s I lived in Graha m County, I dug the Gila River and buil t Mt. Graham . Of course, there we re others who helped some, perhaps.
We have five children and 21 grandchildren, one grandson-in-law, a n d o n e great granddaughter. We are proud of each of them. Our first bo rn , Wa lter C. Rogers, was born September 16, 1916 at Pima, Arizona. O u r s econd, Clara Rogers Toronto, born February 1, 1920 at Pima, Arizon a . Ou r thir d, Della Rogers Denham, born May 18, 1922 at Pima, Arizona . O ur f ourth, Garna Rogers Taylor, born January 6, 1925 at Pima, Arizon a. O u r fift h and last, Chloe Rogers Hansen, born May 26, 1926 at Pima , Ariz on a.
All of our children were married in the Temples of the Church and a r e a l l real heavy workers in the Church. All of our children and thei r s pou se s have a college degree except Chloe and Dean, who are makin g mor e mon e y and serving as well as any of the others.
We think our family will match favorably, even with the Fletcher Mot h e r o f the Year Family, and far ahead of most of the Church familie s o f ou r ti me and our age. We are very thankful for all our children , thei r sp ouses, grandchildren, and Sylvia and Jeddy. We are thankful t hat w e ca n do so mething for the Church and others, rather than to be l ike so me wh o are re quired to take assistance from their children, Chur ch, o r the go vernment. We believe that if one lives the Gospel and pay s an ho nest ti the, he n ot only will not want, but will be able to assi st other s and d o good in t he Church.
I would like to return to the time when we moved to the Reservoir . W e w e re truly pioneering. New land to grub, clear, level, plow, plan t, a n d ge t water from the mountain in the Spring and store it in the p ond , o r we d id not grow anything. Our animals, horses, cows, pigs an d chic ken s wer e few, and we needed to sell every increase that we coul d in or de r to ge t things that were needed that could not be grown or g otten ot her wise. O ur eggs, chickens, pigs and calves were sold, and w e got ou r mea t as th e pioneers did. There were plenty of rabbits, quai l and duc k i n season, and deer in the mountain. We could and did trap t he quail a n d duck, an d watch and get a rabbit with every shot. This us ually kep t u s in a fair ly good supply of wild meat most of the year, a nd I thoug ht i t was good.
Joseph, my 3 ½ year older brother, and I would take a team and wag o n t o t he foot of the mountain and unhitch the horses. Joseph would ta k e on e ho rse and ride farther into the mountain and get a deer whil e I w oul d be ch opping wood. We would bring back a load of wood, and fr om 7 0 t o 100 poun ds of deer meat. The wood and meat would last about t he sa m e time, and t his was repeated many times during the winter month s. I f t here was a la w against killing deer at that time, no one care d abou t it. We rarely ev er shot quail for two reasons: bullets cost mon ey, an d w e could trap them. Joseph made a trap that would stay set al l the tim e. We would set thi s trap near where we thought the quail wer e and lea v e it, then return eve ry evening. Nearly always there would b e from s i x to ten quail in the tr ap. We would take them out and re-bai t it an d r epeat the performance dai ly, except that we would move the t rap to d iffe rent locations. We trappe d skunks, wildcats and coyotes fo r their f ur, and thereby pick up a littl e extra money and at the same t ime clea n ou t the pests. We had rattlesna kes, Gila monsters, and othe r varmint s t o deal with, along with the eleme nts and new country.
At the time Father died, December 17, 1906, Mother had 10 children a t h o m e, five girls and five boys, ranging in age from Lottie, 23, to S usan n a, one year. Joseph got married in July, 1907, and Lottie in Octob er , 1 90 7. That left four boys and four girls at home. I was the eldes t a n d onl y eighteen: Chas., David, Wallace, Millard, Lena, Louise, Mar y, a n d Susa nna, in that order.
We seemed to be getting along fairly well, clearing up more land, get t i n g a few more livestock around, and getting a little better ways o f tr an sp orting to and from town, when in November of 1912 Millard, Len a’s t win, d ied. He had all the promises of being the genius of the fami ly, i f t her e was any one. He was nearly sixteen. In January, 1913, jus t tw o mo nth s later, Wallace, nineteen years of age, died. He was the a thlet e o f th e family. We thought he could do as much work as any one p erso n liv ing a nd do it easy. This left six of us at home. I was gettin g see dy, and Da ve was in full bloom. The four girls were in school.
I started to keep company with Gladys Haws, January 1, 1913. She w a s t o o young to get married, and I knew it, but it seemed that I coul d n ot k ee p away from her. The more I went with her the better I like d her , an d th is was beginning to become a problem. I was old enough t o get m arri ed, b ut did not have what it took financially to do so, bu t I conti nue d to g o with Gladys. I thought she started to like me bett er as tim e we nt alon g. One night in the latter part of May, 1913 we we re goin g t o a dance i n the Weech Hall in Pima. I stopped at the post o ffice an d g ot our mail. There was a letter from Box B, Salt Lake City , Utah. I t w as my call t o go on a mission to the Northern States, an d that I wa s t o report at hea dquarters in Salt Lake City in August, 19 13. This cal l w as a complete su rprise to me, as no one had discussed i t with me . I di d not see how I co uld go on a mission as our finance wa s almost n il an d Mother had sustaine d her great losses so short a tim e before. Wi th th ree of her four unmarr ied sons departing from the hom e in nine mon ths lo oked hard to bear. Bu t Mother, as always, was equa l to the task a nd too k it like a soldier sh e was.
In those days a missionary just went to SLC, met with one of the lea d i n g authorities who set him apart. He went through the Temple, an d h e w a s off. I went through on Thursday for myself and Friday for Wal lace , t he n went down to Richfield over the weekend to see my Aunt Emm a Jens en a n d family. One of those nights I had a dream, vision, or pre sentmen t o f s ome kind. The things I saw and heard at that time are sti ll vivi d i n m y memory, and are as follows. Both of my brothers were De acons a t th e ti me of their deaths. I was ordained an Elder for Wallac e at th e tim e I we nt through the Temple for him, and this presentmen t came bef or e I had bee n ordained for Millard, or been through the Tem ple for him .
I saw in vision an ordinary business street with houses reasonably c l o s e together. There were people walking up and down the sidewalk. Th e r e w as a meeting being held in a building, similar to a church. Ther e w e r e a great many people in the building, and I could see my brothe r Wal la c e in the pulpit speaking to the congregation. Millard, who wa s up t o t hi s time only a Deacon, was ushering at the door. Some one sa id to h im, “W hy don’t you go up and help your brother?” Millard replied , “I don ’ t hav e that authority yet, but I will in a few days.” The fol lowing Mo n da y I was ordained an Elder for Millard and went through th e Temple f o r hi s endowments. The dream has remained as vivid the pas t 50 years , i t seem s, as when received.
Before I left I asked Gladys to marry me, and she said she would; a n d s h e met me in Salt Lake City on my return from a 27 month mission . W e we r e married October 1, 1915 in the Salt Lake Temple.
I presume that the people of the Pima Ward realized how poor we we r e a n d each of our parents, so the Ward gave us a surprise wedding sho we r pa rt y. I believe every one in the Ward came out and each gave us s ome thin g. This helped us a lot to get started.
The first move we made was from town to the reservoir. We had so li t t l e furniture that we put it all in the bed of a wagon. We laid a can v a s o ver it, and the canvas swayed because there was not enough furnit u r e to r aise it up above the level of the wagon box bed. So what we h a v e has bee n acquired since that time as best we could. We never pai d re n t for a ho use to live in all during our married life.
We built our first house on a 16-acre tract which was a part of my Fat h e r ’s homestead just west of Pima. It consisted of two rooms. Sun-dr i e d ad obe made the walls, soft pine the floors. But it was warm and co mf o rtabl e, and it was ours when we got it paid for, and we did.
First Mission Experience
I arrived in Chicago, Illinois on a Friday about the middle of Augus t , 1 9 13. There were 13 of us Elders in the group. It was late at nigh t w h e n we arrived. We got us a room near the Central Depot for the nig ht . Th e next day we walked and rode the street car out to Logan Squar e , 2 757 No rth Sawyer, Chicago. We got to the office about ten A.M. Th e y sp ent th e rest of the day finding out who we were and fitting us o u t wit h virtual ly a mule’s load of B. of M. and tracts to take on a si x- week h ike throug h the country. They paired us off, one experienced E lde r wit h a rookie, but they had only 12 experienced Elders to make th e tri p. I t ended u p that I was the one left out, so I did not get th e experi enc e of cross-c ountry hiking or doing missionary work as had b een expla ine d to me it wa s done. I was assigned to do some tracting ne ar the chu rch, but this las ted only about ten days.
They were building the Chapel and Mission Office at Logan Square. I t n e e ded a lot of hard work cleaning up around and landscaping and fin ishi n g i n many ways. I was big and strong and did not know any bette r tha n t o d o about two men’s work each day, so I was assigned to do th is rou gh w or k on the Church. They were moving from 110 South Pauline S treet , an d ha d a lot of furniture and office supplies and equipment t o me mo ved. We r ented a large dray that was pulled by horses; there wer e few au to mobile s and no trucks in those days. I drove the team to an d from th e c hurche s several times, and of course did the necessary par t of bac k wor k incide nt to moving.
One day I drove the dray loaded with pews from South Pauline Stree t t o S o uth Chicago and back, about 40 miles round trip, so they said . On m y w a y down I wanted a drink, so I stopped and got off and starte d i n a plac e, when a Colored policeman said, “Where yo alls going?” I r epli ed, “Ju s t wanting a drink.” He said, “Yo alls better git down th e roa d a piec e; this is all Colored here.” I did.
They were hurrying to get the new Chapel finished in order to have i t d e d icated at the time they held a general conference of all the Elde r s o f th e mission, about 160 strong. I was out in the front yard of t h e Chu rch d igging and working in just plain digging clothes, when a gr ou p of E lder s came by, going to the office. I knew they were Elders, b u t did no t thi nk I would know any of them, so just kept on working. Ju s t as the y got e ven with me I looked up and there was Earl Cluff. H e i s Gladys ’ cousin, and I grew up with him in Pima. He was the first p erso n I ha d seen fo r over three months that I had known previously . I was t he onl y person h e had seen that he previously knew for abou t a year. H e did n ot recogniz e me, but I did him, and spoke to him cal ling him b y his firs t name. H e was startled, surprised, and happy. W e had severa l chats du ring the ti me he was at the conference.
President Joseph F. Smith came out and dedicated the building. At t h i s m eeting two of his sons were returning from England from their mis si on s. They walked up into the pulpit area and kissed their father; th i s w a s the first time I had seen grown men kiss each other.
After the conference was over and all the Elders reassigned, Elder Ro g e r s remained at Logan Square, much to my surprise. I was one of th e f e w El ders that could take dictation, type, and keep books, so tha t wa s m y lo t for the next 14 months. Bookkeeping, mission secretary, a nd ge ner al fl unkie for the mission and office. At the end of this tim e I ha d tr avele d around Chicago so much that I thought I could go an y place a nd re turn, sometimes with one street car ticket. We learn to s ave.
As time went on I was smarting under the fact that I had not had an y r e a l missionary experiences. I had discussed this with President Ell swor t h. The Branch President of the Milwaukee Branch died. He was runn i n g a b akery shop, making and selling bakery goods, even selling to st or es. S o I was assigned to run a bakery for about two months. Still n o re a l mis sionary experiences. Then I was put in charge of the Wiscons in Co n ferenc e as President. I had about 45 Elders and about 800 Saint s scatt e red al l over the State.
For two weeks I did country work with three Elders. We walked fro m t o w n to town and held street meetings at nearly every place we cam e to . O u r custom was to get permission of the Mayor or Police to hol d a str ee t me eting. Then we would divide the town in quarters and adve rtise t h e meeti ng; then we’d talk, distribute tracts, try to get a mea l, an d i f possibl e a place to stay that night. I was the only one tha t got s upp er, and no ne of us got a place to stay all night. We mad e a passiona t e plea for so meone at the meeting to invite us to stay wi th them. No o n e took us in. They slunk away like we were undesirables , as we wer e t o them. We ha d canvassed long and hard, and we did not d esire to sle e p out, for it wa s a little chilly and very uncomfortable.
It was about 9:30 P.M., the air was chilly, the night dark. It wa s a t l e ast a mile out of town where we might get off the road into a c lum p o f tr ees, or into a deserted barn, or somewhere. This was about o ur s eve nth n ight out. I had been successful in getting three meals pe r da y an d a pla ce to sleep each night, but some of the others had fail ed i n both. As w e passed a hotel, summer-resort kind, I asked if the El der s had s olicite d this hotel for a place to stay. They said “no”. I s aid , “Le t us mak e it 100% and shake the dust off our feet against thi s tow n, i f this plac e will not let us stay there free.” I started in ; the ot he r three did no t have faith enough in the matter to come int o the lobb y w ith me. I aske d the clerk about giving us a room for fou r for the ni ght. He said he wa s only the clerk, and that I would have t o get that ki n d of permission fr om the landlord. He showed me into th e next room. T h ere sat an old ma n with long, white beard, who was th e landlord. I ma d e a passionate ple a for a room for the four of us. Wi thout hesitatin g a t all, he turned t o the clerk and said, “Give thes e Elders a room, a nd i n the morning see t hat they have a good breakfas t. I was out in Uta h an d visited around an d found that the Mormons wer e good people. The y trea ted me right, an d I want to treat them good.”
We would usually figure out the town we would be in at the end of th e w e e k to spend the weekend in. We would keep what clothes we would ne e d f o r the five days, and tracts, etc., and ship the rest by expres s t o ours el ves at the designated town. We figured it out that we coul d pur chas e a r egular ticket and check our luggage cheaper than to expr ess it . Th en w e often could sell the ticket to someone who was going t o sai d tow n on th e train, thereby getting our luggage transported free .
Milwaukee in 1915 was mostly German-speaking people. One could do bus i n e ss or missionary work more completely in German than they could i n En gl is h. When the United States entered the War, or the War was gett ing t o o ho t in Germany to do missionary work, the Elders were called h ome. S o me di d not desire to go home so they stopped in the several mis sion s o f the Un ited States. Several German-speaking Elders were assign ed t o Mi lwaukee. They labored mostly among the people that could not sp eak E ngl ish. Th ey converted several.
As was customary, the Conference President was supposed to intervie w e a c h prospect, if at all feasible. As the President I interviewed on e Si s te r, but had to do it through an interpreter. She was baptized i n La k e Mic higan by the Elder that had the most to do with her conversi on . A t tha t time we would confirm them immediately on the water’s brin k . I d id th e confirming, and of course, spoke in English. On the way h om e thi s Sist er asked the German-speaking Elder what was the matter wi t h Presid ent Rog ers, “since he interviewed me through an interpreter , bu t when h e confirm ed me he spoke in perfect German.” Just an exampl e o f the Gif t of Tongue s.
One of the most disappointing things that happened was the death o f a n E l der who was laboring in Racine, Wisconsin. He died of acute app endi cit is. Seemingly the Elder’s companion was new on the job and did n ot ca l l m e or the office real soon. I rushed down there only to find t ha t h e ha d passed away a short time before I arrived. I immediately go t i n t ouc h with President Ellsworth, and he took most of the notifyin g o f rela tive s on himself. We wanted the body to have the Garments on , bu t did n ot wa nt the undertaker to put them on. My companions were v ery s hy o f a corps e. I had had some experience at home and knew how t o dres s one. It wa s the custom then to ship bodies on the train. We wou ld purc has e two tic kets, one for the dead person and one for the bod y guard, a s i t were. I thought I was going to get to go to the Elder’ s home, but P re siden t Ellsworth took that task or pleasure away from m e. I would ha v e been h onored to have done it.
My outstanding missionary meal came one March day about 3:00 P. M . I h a d traveled until nearly noon and had to walk about five miles o u t in t h e country, snow on the ground, in spots. Dirt road and slippe r y in pla ce s. When I arrived at the Hodges, Sister Hodge knew I was hu ng ry, so s h e Preceded to give me some bread and milk. The bread was li gh t bread, j ust out of the oven. The milk was in the form of an old-fas hio ned pa n th at farmers used to set their milk in to let the cream ris e. M y hung er co upled with this warm bread and cold milk that was heav y wit h cream, cause d me to eat very heartily, and it seemed to please t he ol d folk s as the y said that I was so easy to satisfy. It was good t o th e last d rop, an d it was good to tell about.
[That is the end of the personal-written biography.... From this p o i n t on, the events listed and incidents related are as …the childre n ha v e r emembered them or as they have been told to us.]
Charles, a life-long Democrat, ran for the position of County Attor n e y i n Graham County in the elections of 1926. His opponent was Jess e Ud a ll, the Republican incumbent. Charles won the election in the Nove mb e r gen eral election. He defeated Mr. Udall again in the general elec ti o n of 19 28, again for County Attorney. Twice he ran against the incu mbe n t Superi or Court Judge, in 1934 and 1942, but lost both times.
After he was elected County Attorney, it was necessary to move to Saff o r d, the county seat of Graham County. It was May, 1927 that the mov e w a s m ade. They (Charles and Gladys) selected a big, yellow frame hou s e o n tw o acres just outside the West city limits and near the railro a d trac ks. It was close to the court house so Charles could walk to wor k . H e wa s elected to this position of County Attorney for six two-yea r t erm s (1 2 years total), but they were not consecutive years. In th e off- yea rs, h e opened his own law office and had his own practice. H e also p urc hase d and operated the Graham County Credit Bureau, as wel l as pract icin g la w the last years he lived in Safford.
Through the years he still liked to go deer hunting, usually up in t h e G r aham Mountains, and usually he would bring home a deer. More tha n l ike l y it was only a one-day hunting trip, leaving early in the morn in g an d re turning after dark. He enjoyed the picnics and outings tha t bec am e tradi tion with his own family and the relatives.
There were the Saturday night Rook parties with the 12 or so couples g a t h ering at someone’s house to spend the evening playing cards, then h av i n g a pot-luck refreshment. The men against the ladies, or couples a gai n s t couples, would lend variety to their evenings. On special occas io n s (T hanksgiving, or Christmas, or a birthday, or just to have somet hi n g to do) the Rook cards were easily available, and it wasn’t hard t o in t erest so meone in playing.
Not to be forgotten were the years they had the “Rogers Grade A Raw M i l k ” dairy. (Note: Walter says “Grade D” which may have been true i n t h e ea rliest months; but also see the reproduction of a “Grade A” st am p us ed i n later months.) Milking 12 cows night and morning without a n y mech anica l assistance, worrying about having enough feed for them , ke eping t he she ds and corrals and milk house in proper sanitary clea nline ss in or der t o pass the state inspection; all these and more caus ed con siderabl e worry, but it did help the financial situation for a fe w roug h years o f the de pression.
All five children went to the elementary schools in Safford, graduat e d f r om the high school there, and the local junior college (Gila Juni o r Col le ge) at Thatcher. His son went on a mission in 1934 to the East er n Sta te s Mission, then to the University of Arizona and graduated i n la w. Al l t he children were married while the family lived in Safford .
For some reasons that he thought wise at the time, Charles joined th e I O O F (Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a secret fraternal organizat ion) . I n September, 1944 they moved to the IOOF Home in Safford to be c are t aker s of grounds and buildings as well as the individuals who cam e t o li ve th ere. “They” included Charles, Gladys, Garna, Chloe, Dell a an d Sue. In t he Fall of 1945 they left the Home and purchased the All red h ouse. Charl es was asked to be the Stake Clerk for the Mr. Graham S take , o n conditio n that he would resign his membership in the IOOF. H e acce pte d this cal l from his Church and was sustained at a Stake conf erenc e on 1 6 May 1948; he was set apart by Marion G. Romney. Charles se rved a s Cle rk until mo ving to Phoenix in December of 1948.
He had been appointed a deputy in the State Attorney General’s offic e , a n d he worked there for four years. They lived in Phoenix only tw o ye ar s, then they moved to Mesa in 1951, and Charles commuted to wor k the n e x t two years. When his boss wasn’t re-elected, Charles worke d a shor t w hi le with Elijah Allen in Allen’s office for the practice o f law. Wh e n All en died he used the same office as Ether Ferrin (a life -long frie n d fro m Pima) used for his realty office. Their first home i n Mesa w a s a “cour t” on Udall Street which had several apartments arou nd it . I t was a stru ggle to keep them clean and rented, so in 1953 the y boug ht a nd moved to t heir little home on Hobson Street.
Here he lived the rest of his life. He and Gladys served their three-Ye a r mission to the Pima Indians at San Tan; they also served their sho r t s i x-month mission in the Cumorah Mission; and then in 1967 they wer e s e t ap art as ordained temple workers. In 1964 they added a large roo m, a s mal l bath, and an office for Charles on the back of their home wh ic h ma de i t more comfortable, especially when some of the friends came , o r th e chil dren and grandchildren arrived for a visit. By this tim e he h ad c losed h is downtown law office, but he still had people com e to him a t h is home f or help with a divorce or some of the lighter an d easier la w w ork. Alway s, each year there were many income tax report s prepared f o r other people.
Whenever the Spanish-Americans came for their temple excursions, the y w e r e housed at the Tri-Stake Center in Mesa. Volunteer Priesthood me n wo u l d go early and stay late each day for a week to help prepare th e foo d n ec essary to feed these humble people. Charles usually voluntee red an d r epo rted about five each morning and stayed through the day un til eve ryth in g was cleaned and cleared up after the evening meal. Ofte n it wou l d b e a 14-hour day for the workers, and this happened two o r three tim e s eac h year.
He was injured in an automobile accident on the Mesa streets in May, 1 9 6 2, which resulted in more-or-less permanent injury to a hip; at lea s t h e f elt he never regained fully to his pre-accident condition.. . H e b ecam e anemic, for his blood wasn’t building the way it should, a nd t he d octo r had him lose weight. He did lose the required weight, bu t h e als o los t that Swedish huskiness that had been so characteristi c fo r him... St ill later, he was involved in another auto accident, bei ng de cl ared to b e the one at fault. As a result, he was sued for ove r $150,0 0 0 for damag es and permanent injuries. This suit was settled o ut of cou r t for $40,00 0. This necessitated depleting all of his saving s accoun t s and borrowin g sums of money from some of his children (whic h were re pa id before his d eath), but he was able to save his Mesa hom e and his t e n acres in Pima...
He was a great one for helping others when he could. Relatives fro m b o t h sides of the family sought his advice and help all through th e yea r s. There were many widows and old and elderly people living in hi s Me s a w ard, and he assisted them by whatever means he could: free leg al as s ista nce, driving them in his car to the doctor’s office, for gro ceries , etc.
On one such occasion he was helping two ladies gather pecans. He cli m b e d the tree to shake down the nuts, and the ladies would pick the m u p a n d put them in boxes. For some reason, he fell from the tree, sc rapi n g th e back of his head against the tree trunk as he slid down an d land e d on h is neck at the base of the tree. Whether he reached too f ar an d l ost hi s balance, had a dizzy spell, his foot slipped, or a lim b brok e a s the po lice reported, we don’t know. He was rushed to the Me sa Luth era n Hospita l, and they kept him alive for ten days.
Without ever regaining consciousness, he died 15th January 1970. Hi s f u n eral was in Mesa on the 17th, and he was buried in Pima that afte rno o n. Just as the sun was setting down beyond the Graham Mountains a l ad i e s chorus sang “Now The Day Is Over”, and in a grave close to his b oyh o o d homestead farm and reservoir, Charles was laid to rest.
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