Earlene Winifred “Winnie” (Burton) Rogers was born on May 16, 1936 at home in the Lone Star Community, Arkansas to Earl and Ellen Burton. She was welcomed by her siblings, Mary and Gene, and later by Robert and Larry. She passed away at her home on Wednesday, January 14, 2026 with family by her side. She had been a member of the Washburn Church of Christ for the last 47 years.
The family farm in the Lone Star community was requisitioned by the U.S. Government prior to WWII to establish Camp Chaffee, necessitating a move to the Antioch community and then to a small farm at Mansfield. In 1948 the family moved to Southeast Colorado, where she graduated from McClave High School in 1954. She participated in basketball and was a member of the Pep Club.
During her teen years, radio station KLMR in Lamar, Colorado had an amateur hour in which Earlene sang and played the guitar. Nashville missed out. After calling Colorado home, it was then Missouri and Florida. She moved back to Greenwood, Arkansas in 1978 and this became her home until her death. She loved gardening, canning, quilting, sewing and much time was devoted to genealogy. Black walnuts and making fried pies (that James personally saw fistfights start over) were a constant endeavor. She knew where many black walnut trees were located and descended up on them in the fall. She hulled, cracked and picked walnuts out of their shells all winter. Unfortunately, the squirrels got all her stash from last year’s harvest. Her black walnut pies, orange sherbet and homemade ice cream delighted her many devotees. She loved antique cars. She owned a 1965 El Camino at her death. Her favorite was a 1969 Ford Mustang.
She is survived by a son, James Rogers and friend/caregiver, Missy VanRiper of the Washburn community; daughter, Belinda Flores and husband, Ron of Florida; a brother, Robert and wife, Evelyn of Kingman, KS; grandchildren, Ronnie and Kristin Flores, Lauren Ashley and Molly Rogers, and many great grandchildren and extended family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Ellen Burton, a sister, Mary Lou Stevens and two brothers, Gene and Larry. Earlene “Winnie” will be greatly missed by family and countless friends.
Funeral service will be 10 a.m., Friday, January 16 at the Free Range Cowboy Church in Greenwood with burial at Washburn Cemetery under the direction of McConnell Funeral Home of Greenwood. Viewing will be Thursday from 3 – 7 p.m. at the funeral home, where the family will visit with friends from 5 – 7 p.m.
Pallbearers will be Kevin Parker, Myron Means, Scott Griffith, Bruce Holland, Chris Ashworth and Howard Curtis. Honorary pallbearers will be the Milltown Music Group.
To share a memory or leave a message for the family, please visit www.mcconnellfh.com.
