Gwendolyn Franklin Rodgers

Gwendolyn Franklin “Gwen” Rodgers, age 97, died Sunday, Christmas Day, at Dugan Memorial Home in West Point, Mississippi. She was born October 25, 1919, in Memphis, Tennessee, to the late Oma Lee Barton and Oliver Lee Franklin. Mrs. Rodgers was employed by First National Bank in West Point for many years, where she was the first female teller and served as manager for two different branches. She was a faithful member of First Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday school. Mrs. Rodgers had a lifelong love of music. She and her brother, Joe, played the piano and the ukulele on the radio when they were young. Mrs. Rodgers continued enjoying music, and even played piano when she first moved into Dugan, where she was regarded by the staff as a true Southern Belle. Mrs. Rodgers was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Neely Rodgers, Sr. and her brother, Joe Barton Franklin. Survivors include her daughters Susan Robinson (Robbie), Nancy Johnson (Charlie), and Becky Shirley (Art), all of West Point, and her son Charles Rodgers (Susan) of Birmingham, Alabama. She was “Mamaw” to nine grandchildren: Stephanie Rial (Chris), Leigh Griffin (Mitch), Suzanne Malin, Tim Johnson (Dawn), Michelle Solomon (James), Amy Mackintosh (Todd), Joel Rodgers (Amy), Will and Drew Shirley. She is also survived by twenty great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. Visitation will be Wednesday, December 28th at 9:00 am, followed by the funeral service at 10:00, both at First Baptist Church with Rev. Dale Funderburg officiating. Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery in West Point. Pallbearers will be her grandsons Tim Johnson, Joel Rodgers, Will Shirley, Drew Shirley, grandsons-in-law Chris Rial and Mitch Griffin, and great grandsons Taylor Johnson and Alex Rial. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church , 560 East Broad St., West Point, MS 39773.