Mom's Story Part 4a

Mother’s Description:

Mother was small in stature, but in character and integrity she could not be equaled. Hazel eyes were complimented by long heavy black hair which, in her younger life, was worn pinned high on her head. She moved quickly. To this day, I could recognize her quick footstep and the click of her heels. She was a happy person and hummed the hymns as she worked. Sometimes she would break into song and try to hit the high notes on “Courage, for the Lord is on our side” (Let Us All Press On).

Probably Mother’s greatest strength was in her marvelous organizational ability. She could dispatch the work around that big home like an efficiency expert. She was a shrewd businesswoman; something she learned when she worked for her father in the Bank, and kept meticulous records. The old family budget book held the record of every family transaction down to the smallest amount. She loved to write and kept a journal all of her life. After Dad’s death she wrote a book of his life, also a book of her mother’s life. She did a mountainous amount of work in genealogy. It would be impossible to describe all of her many traits and gifts.

Mother was a compassionate woman. We will never know all she did to help for those things were kept quiet. As an adult, I still have people tell me of her goodness to them; a $10 bill slipped into their needy hands as she was leaving their home, or other little understanding acts of kindness. She served as a Stake Relief Society President for eighteen years and before that she served as counselors in both the Y.L.M.I.A. and the ward Relief Society. Her life was filled with service to the Church. Some child asked his mother what the “S” stood for in Leonora S. Rogers’ name. The mother replied, “Service”. The example she set has given her daughters a love for Relief Society and her unselfish work in Genealogy and Temple work has given us a love for that work also. When her children were grown, she and Dad served a mission for two years in New England States, and that was a never to be forgotten experience. Their converts became their dearest friends.

Mother had a dominant personality and made a lot of the decisions as to the discipline of the children. She surely wasn’t above giving us a good little “willowing” if we needed it. My brother was often tied to the pear tree in the yard to keep him from running away. She and Dad were a great team; she had the vision and foresight and he furnished the hard work. Dad allowed Mother to make a lot of the financial decisions.