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Evelyn Rodgers
Born: 5/20/1926
Died: 7/7/2026
Age: 100
Community: Flint, MI
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Mrs. Evelyn Rose Lay Rodgers
May 20, 1926 – July 7, 2026
Mrs. Evelyn Rose Lay Rodgers, affectionately known to her family as “Grandmadear,” was a beloved matriarch, educator, and woman of faith who entered into eternal rest on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, just weeks after celebrating her 100th birthday surrounded by cake, laughter, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Evelyn was born May 20, 1926, in Little Rock, Arkansas, to James B. Lay and Grace Sanders Lay. She attended Dunbar High School in Little Rock, where she met the love of her life, George Rodgers — affectionately known as “Papa” — whom she married, had two boys, and shared her life with until his passing on January 5, 2008. The couple and their two sons relocated to Flint, Michigan in 1964, first settling into an apartment on 12th Street, then purchasing a home on Gloucester Street, before building their forever home on Worchester Drive in 1976, where she remained a pillar of the Evergreen Valley community for decades.
At a time when few opportunities existed for Black women in the segregated South, Evelyn pursued higher education at Wilberforce University, an HBCU, earning her Bachelor of Arts from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, conferred June 10, 1948. She went on to teach in the Little Rock public school system until the family’s relocation to Flint. For 35 years, she dedicated her career to the Flint Public School System, shaping generations of students in English and arithmetic. Her love of teaching never stayed inside the classroom — she taught anyone willing to learn, hosted block parties that brought her community together, and served as President of the Worcester/Valley Lane Block Club for eight years, opening her home and her heart to family and neighbors alike.
A member of Woodside Church since 1965, where she was honored with a certificate for 50 years of membership on Sunday, October 4, 2015, Evelyn’s faith in Jesus Christ was the foundation of everything she did. She was also a devoted and faithful supporter of March of Dimes and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for decades, her generosity reflected in the steady stream of custom stamps and memorabilia she received in thanks. She played both the organ and piano in her formal living room, loved listening to tunes on her record player and found joy in anything that kept her mind sharp — watching Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, and playing dominoes and checkers, games she taught to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren alike.
Evelyn’s retirement years were spent devoted to her family — she cared for her granddaughters Victoria and Jasmine in infancy, never missed a jump rope for heart fundraiser or elementary field day, and made sure every visit included a game of dominoes, checkers, or Chinese checkers and a lesson in something valuable. She loved watching ice skating with the girls, coached Victoria through spelling bee prep year after year, and treated her to the opera, Holiday Pops, and shows at the Whiting Auditorium — passing down a love of culture and the arts alongside her love of learning.
Evelyn was preceded in death by her devoted husband, George Rodgers; her beloved parents, James B. Lay and Grace Sanders Lay; and her siblings, Robertel Lay and Cleo Louise Lay.
She leaves to cherish her memory her children: Chauncey D. Rodgers (Flint, MI), Kirkland D. Rodgers (Flint, MI), and Lanita Grace Scoggins (Flint, MI), the niece she raised as her own; her nephew, James B. Lay III (New Zealand); her sister-in-law, Sadie Briggance-Neal (Flint, MI); her
grandchildren, Victoria Grace Rodgers-Neal (Georgia) and Jasmine Esoteric Thomas (Georgia), whom she loved and raised as her own; her great-grandchildren, Drew Edward Neal and Simone Jackson (Georgia); her cherished friends, Belynda Jeffries (Little Rock, AR) and Milton Shelby (Tennessee); and a host of family, friends, former students, and neighbors whose lives she touched dearly.
A celebration of Evelyn’s life will be held Monday, July 20, 2026, at 11:30 AM, at Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 W. Hill Rd., Flint, MI 48507.
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| Visitation |
| Date: |
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7/19/2026 |
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2:00 PM |
| Visitation will be held from 2-4pm on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at the funeral home. |
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| Funeral Service |
| Date: |
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7/20/2026 |
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11:30 AM |
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| Location: |
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Swartz Funeral Home & Cremation Center
1225 West Hill Road
Flint, MI 48507Get a Map to this location...
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