John Ishmael Rogers, 87, of Amarillo died Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011.
Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, in Memory Gardens Cemetery with Alan Burkhalter, pastor of Chaparral Hills Baptist Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2800 Paramount Blvd.
John Ishmael Rogers was born Feb. 18, 1924, in Paris, Ark., to Oscar and Lydia Rogers. He was the middle of 13 children — four brothers served in the military.
John I. met and married the love of his life, Patricia Louise, on Oct. 16, 1953, in Dumas. They started a family early — Jim was born in October 1955; Jody in July 1957; Oren in December 1958; Randy in December 1959; and Patrick in October 1963.
John I. always worked hard to support and make sure his family had the best of everything, but he also made sure they knew the value of hard work and honesty.
In the early 1950s, John I founded Rogers Truck Repair to support his family. Patricia was the bookkeeper and bill collector. His sons went to school, got their grades, played sports, then learned how to work on diesel trucks.
John I. enjoyed sponsoring all sports involving young people. When he was a teenager, he would walk to school, help his young teachers, light the school house stoves, get the school bus started, pick up the other kids, drive them to school, park the bus then he would go to class. He did this until he joined the U.S. Army in 1941.
He married Johnnie Keyes in Oklahoma. They had two children, Judy, who was born in August 1947, and John I. Jr., who was born in July 1949.
In 1989, Jody bought Rogers Truck Repair and continued to run the business by the same principles, "Treat a man fair and charge him fair."
Even though John I. couldn't work, he would get up early and go unlock the shop and make it ready for the workers.
John I. was raised in the Church of Christ, but later was baptized as a Baptist and joined his neighborhood church, Chaparral Hill Church. He and Patricia loved the fellowship they had there. He greatly missed attending church when he could no longer able to get out of the house.
John I. built his small shop on trust and integrity. Everyone who knew him, to anyone in the trucking business, "Rogers" was well-known.
John I. went home to his Lord, Jesus Christ on Oct., 20, 2011.
He was preceded in death by a son, Randy Rogers, on Oct. 8, 2009.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia; five sons, John I. Rogers Jr. and wife Connie of Fort Worth, and Jim Rogers and wife Denise, Jody Rogers and wife Rhonda, Oren Rogers and Patrick Rogers, all of Amarillo; a daughter, Judy Jester and husband Jackie of Fort Worth; grandson, Jason Rogers and wife Rachael; granddaughter, Stephanie Rogers-Jones and husband Josh and soon-to-be great-grandson, Laeyton Preston Jones; granddaughter, Sommer Rogers-Sims and husband Shane; twin granddaughters, Shelbie and Chelsie Rogers; granddaughter Courtney Rogers and great-grandson, Kyler Rogers; and great-granddaughter, Kadence Rogers, all from Amarillo.