Ora W. Rodgers

Ora W. Rodgers was the 11th of 12 children born to the union of John Dean and Rachel Ezell Ward on June 17, 1927 in Choctaw County, Alabama. On October 10, 1948 Ora married William Lorenzo Rodgers, Sr. and they made their home in Chicago, Illinois. To their union, five children were born, Perline "Cookie", Loretta "Rhett", William, Jr. "Buck", James and Anthony "Tony". William Sr., passed on at an early age, on May 18, 1974. Thereafter, Ora partnered with Cleveland L. Childs and they remained a devoted and committed couple. Ora was a stay at home mom who nurtured her children until they were in school full time. Always ambitious and no stranger to hard work, Ora took on new challenges and worked for many years at Peyton’s Nursing Home on the South Side and at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She retired from Hines Veteran’s Hospital in Maywood, IL. Ora was a spiritual person who had accepted the grace and salvation of Christ. She raised her children to be proud, independent and self-assured. She showered each child with love and attention particular to their personality and needs. She also shared her compassion, wisdom and sage advice with her extended family. Everyone knew “Aunt Ora” would have the answer and would ‘tell it like it is’. Ora was kind and fun loving. She was the original ‘fashionista’ with a great sense of style and loved to be dressed to the nines. One of her favorite pastimes was looking through fashion magazines and catalog shopping. She had a great sense of humor, loved spending time with family and sharing a good story. On Thursday, August 30, 2012, Ora closed her eyes in death. She was preceded in death by her husband, William Sr.; one grandson, Jeffrey; and on August 23, 2012 her life partner, Cleveland L. Childs. Ora leaves to cherish her memory, her children, Perline, Loretta (Jesse), William, Jr. (Mary), James (Jean) and Anthony (Yalonda); eleven grandchildren and great grandchildren, Christopher, LaKeishia, SuJuana, Briana, Jessica, Ryan, Julian, Jaden, Kobe, Carter and Colton; a host of loving relatives, including Daisy Wynn and Berlinda Taylor and friends.

Tributes

Ora W. Rodgers

June 17, 1927 - August 30, 2012