Obituaries: Marshall C. Rogers

ILWACO – Lifelong Ilwaco resident Marshall C. Rogers Jr., 84, died Feb. 17, 2010, at his residence surrounded by family. Born Dec. 24, 1925, in Ilwaco, he was the son of Marshall and Florence “Flossie” (Shier) Rogers. His family immigrated to America in 1635 from England, progressing west until settling in Washington state in 1888. He was the fourth generation of his family to reside in Ilwaco.

Mr. Rogers attended Ilwaco grade school and Ilwaco High School. Immediately following high school he joined the U.S. Navy where he served during World War II. Returning home he married Cleo Kase on June 16, 1946, and continued residing in Ilwaco.

He was employed by Doupé Brothers Hardware and was the projectionist at Ilwaco Theatre. He then began his career for Pacific County PUD No. 2 and worked for more than 30 years before retiring. He was a member of Occident Lodge No. 99 F&AM where he was a 32nd degree Mason, a member of Affifi Shrine, Long Beach Elks, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ilwaco Post of American Legion. He was a long-time member of the Ilwaco Volunteer Fire Department. His grandfather was among the founders of the Ilwaco Presbyterian Church and he was a lifelong member of Ocean Beach Presbyterian Church.

In past years he had fished commercially out of the Port of Ilwaco in his spare time. Residents in Ilwaco could always count on him to keep track of local weather conditions. He was an avid elk, deer and duck hunter and he and his wife had traveled throughout the United States and also had made several trips to Europe. The couple had been married nearly 55 years prior to her death in 2001.

Survivors include his daughter, Bonnie Rogers of Ilwaco; grandchildren, Jami and her husband Jorge Perez, Jason and his wife Angela Rogers, and Jodi Rogers-Blackburn and her husband Phillip Blackburn; great-grandchildren Isabelle, Presley, Jacob, Greyson, Brooklyn, David, Landen, Liem and Jacey; and his beloved feline companion Peaches. Besides his wife, his son Allen and daughter-in-law Debbie, who perished in a commercial fishing accident in 1999, preceded him in death.

A memorial service will be Friday, Feb. 26, at 1 p.m., at Ocean Beach Presbyterian Church in Seaview with a reception following. Private committal will be at Ilwaco Cemetery. Memorials may be made to either the Ilwaco Fire Department or the local organization of one’s choice in care of Penttila’s Chapel, P.O. Box 417, Long Beach, WA 98631.

His guest book is available at (www.penttilaschapel.com).