Surrounded by more than 100 family members, friends, and church members, Mrs. Erma Lou Rogers recently celebrated her 100th birthday with a special dinner in her honor.
Mrs. Rogers officially turned 100 years old on October 21, marking a century of faith, perseverance, and devotion to family. Born in Marion County in 1925, Rogers moved to Simpson County in 1943 at the age of 18.
“I came up here when I was just a young woman,” she recalled with a smile. “There were three girls and one boy in my family, and we all had to work hard to stay alive.”
Work became the defining theme of her life — from her childhood in the fields to her years as a wife, mother, and laborer. “I hoed cotton, picked cotton, pulled corn, cut stalks, worked sugar cane — anything that needed doing, I done it,” she said proudly. “We just had to do everything a boy did to stay alive.”
Mrs. Rogers raised seven children — Tommie, Lonnie, Catherine, Johnny, Curtis, and two who are now deceased, Bobbie Lee and Roy Rogers. “I’d go to the field and work, come in and cook, then go back to the field again,” she laughed. “When I got home, I’d bathe the children and get them ready for bed, and he’d be sitting there asleep.”
Her life, she said, was not always easy, but her strength and determination carried her through. She remembered standing up for herself during hard times, working in the woods cutting paperwood, and even outpicking some of the men in the cotton fields.
“I worked from sunup to sundown,” she said. “Then I worked at a white woman’s house for a dollar and a quarter a week.”
When asked about the secret to reaching 100 years, Mrs. Rogers didn’t hesitate. “Work. Working hard,” she said simply. “I didn’t get no further than the seventh grade, but I made it by the help of the good Lord.”
Even after decades of labor, Rogers said she didn’t stop working until age 92 — when a fall finally forced her to slow down. “I would’ve still been working if I hadn’t fell,” she said.
Her happiest memory, she said, is simply being alive. “I thank God for living. Because if it hadn’t been for Him, I wouldn’t be here,” she said. As for advice to the younger generation, Mrs. Rogers offered timeless wisdom: “Live right and don’t try to bother other folks’ business. If it don’t belong to you, don’t bother it. Stay on your side of the road and let them stay on theirs.”
At 100 years old, Mrs. Erma Lou Rogers remains sharp, strong in spirit, and grateful for every blessing. Her life stands as a powerful testament to endurance, faith, and the value of honest work — lessons she has passed on to generations of family who gathered to honor her remarkable century of life.Work became the defining theme of her life — from her childhood in the fields to her years as a wife, mother, and laborer. “I hoed cotton, picked cotton, pulled corn, cut stalks, worked sugar cane — anything that needed doing, I done it,” she said proudly. “We just had to do everything a boy did to stay alive.”
Mrs. Rogers raised seven children — Tommie, Lonnie, Catherine, Johnny, Curtis, and two who are now deceased, Bobbie Lee and Roy Rogers. “I’d go to the field and work, come in and cook, then go back to the field again,” she laughed. “When I got home, I’d bathe the children and get them ready for bed, and he’d be sitting there asleep.”
Her life, she said, was not always easy, but her strength and determination carried her through. She remembered standing up for herself during hard times, working in the woods cutting paperwood, and even outpicking some of the men in the cotton fields.
“I worked from sunup to sundown,” she said. “Then I worked at a white woman’s house for a dollar and a quarter a week.”
When asked about the secret to reaching 100 years, Mrs. Rogers didn’t hesitate. “Work. Working hard,” she said simply. “I didn’t get no further than the seventh grade, but I made it by the help of the good Lord.”
Even after decades of labor, Rogers said she didn’t stop working until age 92 — when a fall forced her to finally slow down. “I would’ve still been working if I hadn’t fell,” she said.
Her happiest memory, she said, is simply being alive. “I thank God for living. Because if it hadn’t been for Him, I wouldn’t be here,” she said.As for advice to the younger generation, Mrs. Rogers offered timeless wisdom: “Live right and don’t try to bother other folks’ business. If it don’t belong to you, don’t bother it. Stay on your side of the road and let them stay on theirs.”
At 100 years old, Mrs. Erma Lou Rogers remains sharp, strong in spirit, and grateful for every blessing. Her life stands as a powerful testament to endurance, faith, and the value of honest work — lessons she has passed on to generations of family who gathered to honor her remarkable century of life.
