Edditha Carter Rogers, 96 yrs. old, passed away peacefully on Feb. 23rd, 2025 at Henry Ford Hospice Home in Jackson, Michigan.
Her 4 children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren were with her during her last days and nights, sharing stories and singing many of her favorite songs and hymns.
Survived by her children Lynn, Julie, Lee and Lance, 9 grandchildren (Breeze, Bambi; Emma, Sienna; Corey, RaeLee, Elizabeth; Matt and Cody), 21 great grandchildren, and one great great granddaughter, and many beloved nieces, nephews, and great nieces & nephews. Many of us grew up experiencing several Carter clan family vacations and reunions in Michigan which included playing guitars, piano and singing together, kids sleeping on the floor, and aunts and uncles laughing and telling stories ’till 4am.
Edditha was beloved by and also deeply loved her sisters & brothers in-law and nieces & nephews in New York on the Rogers side of the family, spending much time at the Thousand Islands; and kept in touch by phone or letter in her later years. Letter writing was a passion of hers and gift to many and she always enjoyed those she received.
Edditha was the last living of her 2 sisters and 3 brothers- John (Arlene) Carter, Louise (Dwight) Horton, James (Beverly) Carter, Pearline (Ken) Bellant, & Wesley (Judy) Carter; born to mother Pearl May (Bennett) and father Grover Cleveland Carter. She was born in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas and grew up then taught in Flint, Michigan; married and raised children and taught school in Syracuse then N. Chili, New York; retiring in Spring Arbor, Michigan.
She enjoyed a close Christian family upbringing, including farm life, horseback riding (even bareback), singing, and reading, including her Bible.
As a loving mother, and wife of David Rogers, she attended Free Methodist churches including Pearce Memorial Church in N. Chili, taught at Fairbanks Rd. Elementary School, and was involved in various events at Roberts Wesleyan College. Her hobbies included home crafts, seashell crafts, Christmas ornaments, floral arranging for weddings, baking, picking & canning apples, peaches, and pears; singing in college and church trios and hosted home events for family, relatives and friends. Christmas Eve gatherings were a very special time.
Edditha’s teaching career included K-12, art, music, & Phys-Ed, and Rochester city school, before her decades long tenure at Fairbanks Road Elementary in the Churchville Chili district where she taught 1st grade and reading alongside other teachers who became lifelong friends. She had a strict yet loving and effective teaching style. Her own granddaughters were her students who also benefited from her phonics based reading style.
After retirement in the 1990s Edditha volunteered her teaching skills for 2 years in Japan then Rwanda, Africa consecutively then later in Kentucky for the Christian Appalachian Project, teaching adults how to read.
(Mom) never used profanity nor used the Lord’s name in vain. Though she did giggle in Church sometimes. Also she could not make it to the punchline, before laughing, when telling a joke, to the eventual delight of those listening, who also would start laughing just because she was.
Though we will miss her terribly, we believe mom is in heaven with her dear Lord Jesus and “Mama and Papa” now.
A memorial service will be held at Arbor Church 120 E. Main St. in Spring Arbor, Michigan on Saturday, July 19th, 2025 at 2pm. Also streaming online. Check www.arborchurch.org
