John Victor Rogers

John Victor Rogers

(1904-2000)

John Victor Rogers was born in a log cabin on the family property on October 11, 1904, in Kanosh, Utah, to John Alexander Rogers and Mary Elizabeth Barney. He was the youngest of their four children. Later the red brick home was built where he lived most of his life. Vic’s mother was almost blind so it was decided that Vic would help her in the house chores and his brother Lynn would help his father outside. Vic inherited his mother’s deep spirituality and compassion for others and looked for ways to help others throughout his life. His testimony and commitment to gospel principles was formed early in his life and he never faltered even though he was in some very rough situations.

Victor with his older brother Lynn (sitting)

Vic attended Beaver Academy when he was fifteen and almost starved and froze to death. He was required to furnish his own fuel, food, and bedding. Fifty miles is a long way from home with a horse and wagon! He completed the entire year though the other young men who started the year with him returned home. For his last two years of high school he boarded with family in Fillmore and graduated from Fillmore High School in 1924. He was always sorry that he didn’t have the opportunity to attend college like his brothers because he loved to read and study. His books contain many thoughtful notes and insights written in the margins. Vic was a teacher and had an incredible memory. He taught Priesthood lessons until he was eighty. While serving as Ordinance Workers at the Manti Temple, he memorized and presented all but one of the men’s roles during the live sessions. He had a wonderful sense of humor which was augmented with his jokes, cute rhymes, and one-liners.

Vic holding David and Lillian holding Lillis.

While working on the railroad in Los Angeles, California, he served as a stake missionary and met Lillian Stead, a convert from England who was also a stake missionary. They were married in Los Angeles on March 27, 1937, then were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on October 12, 1937, when Vic had vacation time from work. Vic was seven years older than Lillian. They had five children—David, Lillis, Kathie, and John born in California, and Craig born in Utah. Missionary work was always important to them and it gave them much satisfaction that all five of their children served missions as well as twelve of their twenty-one grandchildren. After their retirement they served a proselyting/fellowshipping mission in Sarah, Mississippi in the Little Rock Arkansas Mission. They also served a four year mission as ordinance workers at the Manti Temple, two years supervising the baptistry.

1958--John (blue), David, Kathie, Lillis, Craig (red), Vic and Lillian

Vic was an example of honesty. His son John remembers going with his father on many trips bringing eggs from Draper, Utah to Kanosh for processing and then on to Las Vegas to market for Newell Howlett. On their last trip to Las Vegas they left the truck in Las Vegas and took a bus home to Kanosh. John was barely twelve and small for his age but he was impressed that his father paid the full adult fare for both of them. Vic was always concerned about doing his share of the work and paying his own way. It was a comfort to him that he had income from Railroad Retirement as well as the sale of his Kanosh home and property to last through his long life. He worried about money and needed to know that he had money in his wallet. He was generous in his time and means in helping others. Many years he and Lillian would attend over 100 endowment sessions each. This was no small effort considering it takes about two hours to drive from Kanosh to Manti, the nearest temple. They always invited others to accompany them.

1964
Back row: Kathie, David, John Lillis

Front row: Craig, Tam (David's wife) holding Wendy, Lillian and Vic

Vic worked hard and was skilled with his hands. He hauled hay, helped build roads and buildings, and worked in Idaho on farms. He loved his large, productive garden and trees. Jobs were hard to get and he finally found steady work in Los Angeles with the railroad where he loaded 300 pounds of ice onto refrigerator cars. At first, he worked eight hours a day for $.52 an hour. Later he painted box cars for a dollar an hour and then did carpentry work for the railroad. He was laid off each fall and would return to Kanosh to help his father on the farm. He worked twenty years on the railroad in California and did many things throughout his life to support his family including driving a school bus, working for the US Forest Service, and as custodian for the LDS meetinghouse in Kanosh. Even in his 80’s he was bringing in coal for the furnace in the living room and taking care of a large garden. He was 6’1” and weighed about 175 pounds with a strong, muscular body even to the end of his life. He never had to take medicine on a regular basis.

John Victor Rogers, 90-years-old

Vic continued to have wonderful social skills and always had a great desire to be helpful until his dementia became so severe that he had to live in a rest home the last few years of his life. He was a great example of living the gospel principles simply and well!