Mary Belle Markell Rogers, 81
Mary Belle Markell Rogers was born May 9, 1925, at St. Joseph Hospital in Sioux City, Iowa. She died peacefully Thursday, Nov. 23, 2006, at St. Joseph Care Center in Spokane, Wash., after a brief but courageous battle with an undiagnosed malady. She was the only child of Frank R. Markell and Louise Margaret Hildebrand Markell.
Survivors include her husband, John Logan Rogers, of Maryland; and her son and only child, John Logan Rogers II, his wife, Judy Long Rogers, and her only grandson, John Logan Rogers III. Mary Belle is also survived by numerous cousins in Iowa, Illinois, Colorado and Washington.
Mary Belle was the namesake of her maternal and paternal grandmothers, Mary and Belle. Her youth was spent in the farming community of Salix, Iowa. She would often discuss life during the depression era of rural Iowa where her grandparents had emigrated and her parents engaged in farming, milk production and even 'bootlegging,' as she would tell. She spent much of her time swimming in Brown's Lake inside her grandfather Tinkum Bigelow's donated parkland under the watchful eye of one of her Dalmatian dogs.
She was admitted directly into Briar Cliff College in Sioux City after her junior year at St. Joseph School in Salix, under the then-experimental Hutchinson Plan. After two years studying parks and recreation, she pursued a career that combined her passion for swimming and her gregarious nature taking a job with Red Cross of Omaha, Neb. That was the beginning of an extensive career; she was a volunteer and state board member involved primarily with water safety and first aid, lasting more than 57 years until 2004, in Nebraska, Illinois and Montana. She also remained involved with her college studies as a board member and committee chair of the Illinois Association of Parks and Recreation and the Community House in St. Charles, Ill. She was actively involved with the Delnor Hospital Auxiliary, Marmion Military Academy's Mothers Association and the Pottawattamie Garden Club while residing in the Fox River Valley of Illinois. She once again pursued her passions in recreation and water safety running the family-owned KOA franchise on Montana's Flathead Lake during the summertime for almost 30 years.
She provided unconditional support to her husband of 54 years, Logan, moving from Illinois to Idaho, Montana and finally Spokane, while maintaining her interests in Red Cross and recreation. She was devout in her faith, a devoted wife, loving mother, grandmother and remarkable conversationalist.
Donations may be made to your local Chapter of the American National Red Cross in her name or to the charity of your choice.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, Nov. 29, (time of Mass pending), at Sacred Heart Church, 219 E. Rockwood Blvd., Spokane. A memorial service will be held at 12:10 p.m. Nov. 30, at St. Matthew's Church in Kalispell, and entombment at Glacier Memorial Cemetery will follow.
Hennessey-Smith Funeral Home, 2203 N. Division, Spokane WA 99207, is caring for the family.