Peggy H. Rodgers

Peggy H. Rodgers was born at Parkin, AR in 1934 to Angie and Luther Hairald; she was their middle child and second daughter. Her parents moved their family to Grenada, MS when she was a very young girl and she lived there completing elementary, junior high and high school; she excelled in school being a member of the Honor Society, and during her junior year she was selected and proudly attended Girl’s State as her school’s representative.

Immediately after high school, she attended Holmes Junior College earning an associate’s degree during 1955; she also married Aubrey Rodgers soon after graduation at the First Baptist Church in Durant, MS.  The young couple then moved to Canton, MS where Peggy provided support to Aubrey while he completed the requirements for his bachelor’s degree at Mississippi College; she also worked as an administrative assistant for the Dean of the Theology School.

Upon Aubrey’s graduation, they packed up their family car with all of their belongings and moved to Panama City, FL where they began their family a few years later with the arrival of their daughter Alison. In 1960, they headed north to Huntsville, AL to establish a home and welcome the arrival of their second daughter Gayle and a little later their son Robert. It was in Huntsville where Peggy and Aubrey raised their two daughters and son, and where they shared and instilled the importance of their Christian faith, family, and education with their children.

Peggy played an important and very active role in supporting her children’s educational, musical and athletic development and all of the programs for which they participated and the goals they pursued. In the late 1970s, Peggy returned to work as a substitute teacher at various elementary and middle schools within the Huntsville Public School System, and in the early 1980s, Peggy served as kindergarten teacher at Highlands Baptist Church where she taught for over ten years. Peggy and Aubrey were also active members of Highlands Baptist Church for over 45 years; during this time she served as Sunday School teacher for hundreds of people of all ages, and served on numerous committees including the church’s Anniversary Committee, History Committee, and several Search Committees for Ministers.

During the early 1990s, Peggy became an active member of the Hunt’s Spring Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) where she was an active member serving as chair of several committees and also serving two years as the chapter’s First Vice-Regent all while earning many state awards in recognition of her work with the chapter.  After Aubrey’s passing, she then attended Trinity Baptist Church in Madison, AL and continued her support of various church programs and committees, and the Hunt’s Spring Chapter of the DAR.

Peggy developed hundreds of friendships that she cherished greatly; her greatest love, however, was for Aubrey and her joy was truly for each of her children and their families: Alison and Bob Toney, Gayle and Craig Lavish, Rose and Robert Rodgers; grandchildren: Elizabeth and Caleb Pierce, Chelsea and Chandler Wicks, Juliana and Zachary Wright, Torey Brooke and Hunter Lavish, and the twins Ariel Lavish and Tasha Lavish; great grandchildren: William Pierce and Mae Wright.

Peggy was quick to share her Christian faith with everyone, and she always strived to bring  the best out of anyone whom she encountered. She had a wonderful sense of humor, but it was her sensitivity and awareness to treat others with respect and dignity combined with her drive for excellence, all learned and instilled while being raised by her deaf parents, that reflects how she lived her life.  Additionally, her ability to plan and prepare wonderful meals and events while bringing family and friends together resulted in the most delightful memories that will last a lifetime. The aforementioned attributes truly describe Peggy as a wife, mother, teacher and friend.

Her warm smile, bright eyes and genuine interest in others made her home a loving and comforting place to be raised and a place where her family and friends always felt welcomed to visit. Peggy is survived by her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, her sister Norma McCormick from Winona, MS and numerous nephews, nieces and relatives. She will be truly missed but never forgotten. Peggy will be laid to rest next to her husband, Aubrey, at Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, AL.

In Lieu of flowers, please dedicate any contributions you would like to make to the

following organizations “In Loving Memory of Peggy H. Rodgers”:

Hospice Family Care (Designation: Inpatient Hospice Facility)    

10000 Serenity Lane, Huntsville, AL 35803 or on-line via the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, www.hospicefamilycare.org/donate.aspx

The Hunt’s Spring Chapter NSDAR (Designation: Literacy Promotion Program); ℅ Joella McManus, Treasurer, 110 Glencoe Road, SE, Huntsville, AL 35802-2314