Betty Arrington Rogers

Betty was born in Randolph County, Alabama, on October 28, 1934, to Burl J. and Alma Heard Arrington and was raised in Heard County, Georgia. After her mother died when Betty was only five years old, Burl married Annie Janney, who became Betty’s stepmother.

She met the love of her life, Luther, at Heard County High School in Franklin, Georgia, where they both played basketball. They attended Berry College in Rome, Georgia, together, where Betty earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, leading to a lifelong career as a kindergarten teacher.

Luther and Betty were married in 1955, a union that lasted almost 65 years until Luther’s death in 2020. Their early life together included time in Monterey, California, and Japan while Luther was in the Army, along with two years in Auburn, Alabama, where Luther earned a Master’s degree and Betty honed her teaching skills at a local elementary school (and adopted the Auburn Tigers as her favorite team).

After moving to Titusville, Florida, Betty served as director of Park Avenue Baptist Church Kindergarten, as well as a teacher, from 1969-1976. Upon the family’s move to Tallahassee in 1977, Betty taught kindergarten for 12 years at W.T. Moore Elementary School and continued to volunteer her time in local schools in retirement.

Most importantly, though, Betty was a born-again Christian and an active member of First Baptist Church Tallahassee. She was a woman of faith, integrity and prayer who believed she was called first to be a wife and mother. She loved her Lord and her family deeply, as well as the many children she taught through the years.

During her life, she also enjoyed cooking (especially her famous homemade sourdough bread, which she often gave away as a ministry to others), reading, gardening, attending her children’s sporting and school events, listening to Southern Gospel quartet music, laughing at the Family Circus comic strip, spending time with her husband and other family at the Hemlock Inn in Bryson City, North Carolina and at the family farm in Ridgeway, Georgia, watching birds outside her window, and supporting the ministries of the Lighthouse Children’s Home. She was particularly fond of teddy bears and used them as a teaching tool for many years in her classrooms.

Betty was routinely described by those who knew her as one of the sweetest people they knew. Even when dementia invaded her life in later years, she never lost the light in her eyes or the love for her Lord and family.

She is survived by her son Lance Rogers of Tallahassee, Florida; daughter and son-in-law Melba and Donnie Jacobs of Tallahassee, Florida; son and daughter-in-law Doug and Lori Rogers of Montgomery, Alabama; grandchildren Kyle Rogers (wife, Liza), Trevor Rogers, Anna Jacobs (fiancé, Kevin Scruggs), Katie Jacobs, Bethany Rogers Franklin (husband, Sam), Emilee Rogers (fiancé, John Orr) and Zack Rogers; great-grandson Jensen Jacobs; brother-in-law Ray Rogers (wife, Janie), Rockledge, Florida; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

If would like to honor Betty with a gift, please consider making a donation in her name to the Lighthouse Children’s Home, 7771 Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32309, or lighthousechildrenshome.com.

The family would like to express their appreciation to Azalea Gardens Assisted Living and Memory Care in Tallahassee for their compassionate care for Betty since 2019, and to the caregivers and sitters from Burt’s Senior Care for their ministry of presence and encouragement.

Arrangements are being handled by Abbey Funeral Home and Tallahassee Memory Gardens, 4037 North Monroe Street in Tallahassee. A visitation time will be held Saturday, January 14, 2023, at 1:00 PM EST at the funeral home followed by a Celebration of Life Service at 2:00 PM, also at the funeral home.

For those who are unable to attend in person, the Celebration of Life service at 2:00 PM EST will be livestreamed. Visit www.abbeyfh.com, click on Betty Rogers on the front page, then Photos and Video, then Webcasting Video to view the service live or after the fact.