The Hooper Sentinel
August 31, 1961

Death Claims Will Rodgers: Rites Wednesday

Will R. Rodgers, 87, passed away Monday morning in Fremont after several months of illness at the Dodge County Community Hospital and its annex.

The funeral service was held Wednesday afternoon at Redeemer Lutheran West Church with the Rev. G. Van Boening, pastor, in charge.

Music for the service was by Mrs. Henry Osterloh and Mrs. Victor Thomsen accompanied by Mrs. Edmund Wagner, organist.

Pallbearers were Ben Bendle, Marvin Rabe, Donald Shaffer, Woodrow Stafford, Fred Ott and Elvir Magnison. Burial was in Hooper Cemetery.

A prominent Hooperite, he was Vice president and Chairman of the Board of the First National Bank and had been active in this capacity until hospitalized.

In memory of Mr. Rodgers and as a mark of respect for his family, all business houses closed their doors during the funeral hour.

Will Rodgers, the son of Hiram and Mary Jane Rodgers, was born in the Admah community northeast of Hooper, on January 11, 1874.

On November 6, 1896, he was united in marriage to Emelia Dressen at Fremont. They farmed at Bloomfield, and then moved to Moore, Oklahoma, where they lived until returning to Hooper in 1906. He operated the Rodgers farm at the east edge of town until he retired in 1936 and moved into town.

Mr. Rodgers joined the former Grace Lutheran Church, thus being a member of the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Hooper.

He was Director and Vice-president of the First National Bank n Hooper for many years and had also been a member of the Hooper District School Board; as well as serving for several years on the Dodge County Fair Board.

Mr. Rodgers was called to his eternal reward, after several months of illness, being confined to the Dodge County Community Hospital and its Annex. He reached the age of 87 years, 7 months and 17 days.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; nine sisters; five brothers one infant son; and two grandsons.

Mr. Rodgers leaves to mourn his passing one brother, Dick Rodgers of Pasadena, Calif.; four daughters, Gladys – Mrs. John Tillman of Hooper, May – Mrs. Howard Luther of Kilgore, Eva – Mrs. John Malloy of Hooper, Barbara – Mrs. Barty Fulton of Omaha; one son, George of Hooper; 15 grandchildren and 33 great grandchildren, and many other relatives and friends.

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Obituary provided by FAG Contributor Harry Wagner
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According to his father's obit, the family emigrated to Admah, Washington County, Nebraska in 1870 where they resided for 18 years before moving to the Hooper area.
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Admah was a very small town in Washington County in the late 1880s to abt 1922.

Admah, NE

More info on Admah at the Wahsington County Genealogical Society