William Allen Rogers, Sr.

William Allen Rogers, Sr., known to all as “Allen”, was born on July 14, 1927, in Ennis, Texas. He passed away on March 4, 2025, in Georgetown, Texas, at the age of 97.

Allen’s parents were Hubert Carl Rogers and Erma Lee Allen Rogers, both lifelong residents of Ennis, Texas. Allen’s great, great grandfather and namesake, Emory William Rogers, was the founder and first resident of Waxahachie, Texas and was one of the participants in the founding of Ellis County, of which Allen was very proud.

Allen attended public schools in Ennis along with his elder brother, Hubert Carl Rogers, Jr., and sister, Margaret Sue (“Peg”) Rogers Curry, and followed in their footsteps as a member of the Ennis High School marching band. Allen was very involved in Methodist youth programs while in school, even participating in the establishment of Glen Lake Camp at Glen Rose, Texas, a camp serving North and Central Texas Methodist youth and adults. During his junior and senior years of high school, he participated in the Senior Assembly program at Southwestern University, a program to instill leadership skills in young adults. He graduated from Ennis High School as the boy with the highest grade average.

After a year spent at North Texas Agricultural College in Arlington, Texas (now known as the University of Texas at Arlington), he neglected to disclose his childhood asthma to the recruiter and was sworn into the United States Navy. World War II was still raging during his boot camp, but as his ship crossed the Pacific where he was assigned to be part of the United States invasionary force in Japan, the Japanese surrendered. After stops in Hawaii and Guam, he was then sent to Japan as part of the occupation forces immediately following the war. His stories of Christmas on Mount Fuji and stealth in getting his crew the best films to watch while stationed in Japan were part of his regular lore. His military service continued after his active duty as part of the U.S. Naval Reserve until 1961, during which time he earned his commission as a Lieutenant Junior Grade. His rationale for becoming an officer was that if there was to be another war, he observed that the officers had better living quarters and food than enlisted men. Allen was always proud of his military service, and in later years wore his World War II Veteran’s cap with great pride.

Upon ending his active duty service, he enrolled in North Texas State Teachers College (now known as the University of North Texas) in Denton, Texas, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

Following college, he began his career in the shoe business, initially at A. Harris and Co. in Dallas (a predecessor of the Sanger-Harris department store chain), then with his father’s shoe stores in Ennis, Texas, learning the shoe business from a true master. At this time, he met and married Margaret Elizabeth (“Betty”) Andrews in December 1951, after a whirlwind courtship. Shortly thereafter, Allen and Betty moved to Temple, Texas, to establish his own shoe store, aptly named Rogers Shoes. While in Temple, they welcomed their two sons, William Allen (“Bill”) Rogers, Jr., and David Andrews Rogers. Allen served as President of the Temple Jaycees, was Chairman of the local United Fund and was named Outstanding Young Businessman in Temple in 1959.

In 1961, Allen and Betty and their young family moved to Crockett, Texas, then in 1974 to Nacogdoches, Texas, to establish shoe stores in both of those East Texas cities. While their sons were involved in the Boy Scouts, Allen became very involved as an adult leader. His involvement was so extensive, that he was awarded the Silver Beaver Award, Scouting’s highest honor for an adult volunteer.

Allen particularly enjoyed camping, taking his family on long camping trips all over the Western and Southern United States and Canada. In later years, Allen and Betty acquired a motor home, in which they traveled extensively as well.

In 1984, Allen and Betty moved as empty nesters to Austin, Texas, then Kerrville, Texas. During this time, they left retail and went into real estate. While their vocation was real estate development and sales during this time, their avocation was playing golf, a game that both loved from an early age. Allen was especially proud of the fact that he and his father played together for several years in the Texas Seniors Golf Tournament, a tournament held in various locations in Texas, a feat accomplished by very few father-son combinations.

After Betty was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, they moved in 2002 to Sun City in Georgetown, Texas, to be near Bill, their eldest son, and his family. Allen was the most faithful example of a husband’s love possible as he cared for Betty as that difficult disease took its toll. In her later years he personally fed her every day, when she was confined to the Wesleyan at Scenic memory care facility.

After Betty’s death in 2010, Allen continued to live in Sun City until he moved in 2017 to the newly built Wesleyan at Estrella Independent Living facility, in Georgetown, where he lived for the remainder of his life. The loving, compassionate care given by the Wesleyan staff during both Betty’s time and Allen’s time at the Wesleyan facilities have meant everything to Allen and his family.

Throughout his life, Allen was a devoted United Methodist. He served for many years as an adult Sunday School teacher, and also acted as a lay preacher filling in at small rural churches in East Texas when their regular pastor was unavailable. He designed a classroom annex for First United Methodist Church in Crockett that is still an important part of that Church’s facilities today. While in Georgetown he was a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church of Georgetown, actively participating in the Contemporary Forum Sunday School class and as a Stephen Minister.

Allen was one of those persons who seldom met anyone that did not become his friend. He had countless stories to tell, often leaving his listeners in stitches, and (sometimes) repeating and perhaps even embellishing the tales. Many have told his sons how they never tired of hearing his stories, even when they had heard them many times before.

Allen was preceded in death by his wife, Betty. He is survived by his sons, William Allen (“Bill”) Rogers, Jr., of Georgetown, Texas, and David Andrews Rogers of Palm Springs, California. He is also survived by Bill’s wife, Meredith Marichal Rogers, and grandchildren Christopher Allen Rogers of Dallas, Texas, Jonathan Marichal Rogers and his wife Nicole Leigh Rogers of Downers Grove, Illinois, and Kendall Elizabeth Rogers of Culver City, California. He loved his entire family with all of his heart, and was particularly proud that he got to know his four great grandchildren, Andrew James Rogers, Avery Quinn Rogers, Caroline Mae Rogers and Cora Elyse Rogers.

Allen lived a bountiful life, full of love and kindness. He will be sorely missed by his family and all who knew him.

A memorial service celebrating Allen’s life will be held in the Hewlett Room at the Wesleyan Independent Living Center in Georgetown, Texas, at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, 2025.

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, you consider making a donation to the Wesleyan Homes Foundation, P.O. Box 486, Georgetown, Texas 78627-0486 (for the benefit of the Wesleyan Benevolent Fund) or to First United Methodist Church of Georgetown, 410 E. University Avenue, Georgetown, Texas 78626.