Nancy Elizabeth Howard was born on 4 Apr 1837 to John H. Howard/Sarah Gage Burleson in Nacogdoches Co., TX. Her father reportedly had fought at the Battle of San Jacinto and had received Texas bounty land. Eliza, as she was known, married James Carroll Rogers, b. 1835, also in Nacogdoches Co., TX on 4 Aug 1857, in the first log cabin courthouse in Stephenville, Erath Co., TX by Justice of the Peace Dooley. When she was a young mother living on their ranch near Carlton, Hamilton Co., TX, a band of Indians came to steal their horses, but did not get into the house where Eliza and her 3 young children sheltered. However, as they were driving the stolen horses away, the Indians ran into Eliza's father-in-law, Samuel Everett Rogers, who was returning home. He was mounted on a small cowpony and tried to escape capture, but was overtaken, scalped and killed. Eliza and a young helper found his body and brought him home on a sled made from a smokehouse door. They buried him under a small grove of oak trees on 3 May 1863. Husband James was away from home serving in the Civil War with the Texas State Troopers who were charged with patrolling the Texas frontier to protect settlers from maurauding Indians. Eliza and James had 16 children; five of who perished before reaching the age of 5 years. This couple moved frequently since James was always seeking better land. By 1893, one son, known as Lum, made the Cheyenne-Arapaho Land Run in the Indian Territory of OK. After that time, the family made their home near what is now Bessie, Washita Co., OK. Sadly, Eliza was washing dishes one evening and cut her hand on a sharp point of a pan and contracted blood poisoning. Living on the frontier with little in the way of medicine, she died on 26 Oct 1903 from the infected wound. She and James are buried in the Union-Hatchett Cemetery.
CHILDREN:
1. Sarah Ann Elizabeth Rogers, b. 4 Aug 1858, Stephenville, Erath Co., TX
2. Mary Lou Rogers, b. 21 Oct 1859, Erath Co., TX
3. Columbus (Lum)Alexander Rogers, b. 7 Jan 1861, Erath Co., TX
4. L. F. Rogers, b. Sep 1862; d. Sep 1862, Erath Co., TX
5. William A. Rogers, b. 21 Oct 1863, Erath Co., TX; d. 25 Jun 1865, Erath Co., TX
6. James C. Rogers, b. 8 Jan 1865; d. Jun 1865, McLennan Co., TX
7. Thomas Pitts Rogers, b. 20 Aug 1866, Groesbeck, Limestone Co., TX
8. John Howard Rogers, b. 18 Aug 1868, Rocky, McLennan Co., TX
9. Edgar Earnest Rogers, b. 28 Jan 1870, McLennan Co., TX-
10. Margaret (Maggie) Lee Rogers, b. 16 Aug 1871, Hood Co., TX
11. Charles Bennett Rogers, b. 18 Feb 1873, Burleson, Johnson Co., TX
12. Male Baby Rogers, b. Aug 1874; d. Aug 1874, TX
13. Samuel Everett Rogers, b. 30 Jul 1875, Somervell Co., TX
14. Male Baby Rogers, b. 25 Jun 1877; d. 1877, TX
15. Archie D. Rogers, b. 17 Dec 1878, Hood Co., TX
16. Bertie Milam Rogers, b. 6 Nov 1881, Granbury, Hood Co., TX