Ernest Lazarus Rogers

Ernest Lazarus Rogers, 70, founder and operator of Industrial Steam Cleaners in Jackson since 1959, died of heart failure brought on by sudden illness, Saturday, April 17, 2010 in Flowood. Visitation is 1-4pm today at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home in Pearl. Funeral services are 2:00pm Monday, April 19, 2010 in the funeral home chapel with interment to follow in Floral Hills Memory Gardens.

Mr. Rogers was born in Jackson September 29, 1939, the son of the late Collis Joseph Rogers and Bernice Smith Rogers.

He served customers in central Mississippi for over four decades, providing and servicing steam cleaners and pressure washers. Mr. Rogers delighted in meeting his customers and establishing life-long friendships with them. Mechanically talented, he never encountered a steam cleaning machine he could not repair.

The consummate people person, Mr. Rogers’ outgoing generous spirit was enjoyed by his friends. A passionate salt water fisherman, he loved getting away to the fish camp in Dulac, LA with his buddies, fueling another great passion, storytelling. Like all great raconteurs his tales grew bigger, bolder and more colorful with each telling to the point of being unrecognizable by those present for the original event. Never able to sit still, in his lifetime, Mr. Rogers enjoyed gardening, especially taking pride in his tomatoes, new recipes for cooking and grilling, and hotrod racing, even building a car from the ground up. He liked both kinds of music, country and western, to go along with his savor of John Wayne and old west movies. Living by the maxim, early to bed and early to rise, he earned the nickname, the shadow, as he would always mysteriously disappear at bedtime, company be damned.

Ernest Rogers loved boasting of his family and reveled in sharing their ventures. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Glenn Rogers, and sister, Glenda Rogers.

Mr. Rogers is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Judy Bates Rogers of Florence; daughters, Trenia Marcel Rogers Ainsworth and husband Joey of Magee and Tammy Ernesta Rogers Collins and husband Chris of Union; sons, Timothy Scott Rogers and Ernest Lazarus Rogers, Jr. both of Florence; brother Gary Rogers and wife Jane of Brandon; 6 grandchildren, 1 great-grandchild and his little daschund, Jackie.