Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home

ROCKLAND - Dorothy H. 'Dotty' Rogers, 83, died Monday, April 18, 2011, at Knox Center for Long Term Care, following a long illness.
Born in Rockland, August 3, 1927, she was the daughter of William and Agnes Grafton Holbrook. Educated in local schools, she was a graduate of Rockland High School.
Soon after high school, she married Gerald F. Gardner. During their marriage the couple had four children.
As well as being a devoted homemaker and mother, Dotty worked at various seafood processing plants, including National Sea Products and at van Ballen's in Rockland. She also served as Secretary to Thomaston Superintendant of Schools, Albert Strout.
In 1966, Dotty married Carl H. Rogers, who immediately became a faithful husband and father to Dotty and her four children. The couple made their home on Pleasant Street in Thomaston for several years.
Dotty enjoyed camping, gardening and spending time in the woods. She had fond memories of her trips to visit her aunt Ruth in Vermont. More than anything, she loved her family and grandchildren, and greatly enjoyed caring for her grandchildren. Her greatest disappointment was when her declining health made it impossible for her to continue personally contributing to the care of her family.
Always possessing a deep faith, she was a longtime member of the Littlefield Memorial Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday school, helped on church suppers and was involved in many of the church programs.
Other than her parents, Dotty was pre-deceased by her husband Carl in 2002; two sons, David J. Gardner in 1991, Gerald Gardner, Jr. in 1967; two sisters, Helen Moore and Lucille Ward and one granddaughter, Kilei Gardner. She is survived by three daughters and their husbands, Judy and Robert McMahan of Owls Head, Michelle and Steve Widdecombe of Rockland, Linda and Robert Littlejohn of Bradford; one sister, Patricia Samson of Rockland; fifteen grandchildren, Frank, David, Barry, Kristan, Amy, Cliff, Erica, Elena, Gabrielle, Stevie, Chelsea, Benjamin, Tiffany, Cassy; eleven great-grandchildren, Miranda, Travis, Lexy, David, Matthew, McKenzie, Brittany, Deacon, Devan, Austin, Angelann; and a special friend Cynthia Hatt of Rockland; as well as several nieces and nephews.
A graveside committal service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, April 22, at the new Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Mount Vernon Road, Augusta. Arrangements are in the care of Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock Street, Rockland.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to either the Interstitial Cystitis Association, 100 Park Avenue, Suite 108-A, Rockville, MD 20850, or Maine Parkinson Society, 359 Perry Road, Bangor, ME, 04401.