Emily Rogers, 95, passed from this life on June 18, 2012, in Coupeville with her family at her side. She was born Dec. 19, 1916, in Waycross, Ga., to parents Calvin T. Walden and Lizzie Walden.She was the youngest of a family of six brothers and sisters plus ten additional siblings from her widowed father’s first marriage to Hettie Walden. Her mother, Lizzie, passed away when Emily was only three years old. Emily was raised by her brothers and sisters on a small farm near Waycross enduring the hardships of that life and the Depression of the 1930s. She and her brother moved to California at an early age to seek a new life.

In San Bernardino she met and married Donald L. Rogers, who eventually became a Southern Pacific Railroad station agent and entrepreneur. The railroad job carried them to new locations over the years including Bakersfield, Calif., Hanford, Calif., Sparks, Nev., Taft, Calif., Inyokern, Calif., and Selma, Calif. During those years, they owned and operated several businesses, including two restaurants.

She was preceded in death by husband Don in 1975 and lived in California near son Mike for 20 years and in Washington near son Mel for the last 17 years. Emily is survived by sons Mel Rogers (Deanna) of Coupeville and Mike Rogers (Rita) of Carefree, Ariz., four grandchildren, Trevor (Hannah), Tiffany, Tami and Kelly (David), and four great grandchildren, Nicholas, Bethany, Lydia and Weston.

Emily cherished her twin sons and always said they were her proudest possessions. She was a wonderful mother and homemaker and enjoyed sewing and knitting. Becoming a grandmother was her next joy in life. “Aunt Emp” also stayed close to her family in Georgia over the years. Emily, with her southern accent, will always be remembered as a “Georgia Peach” and as a loving, sweet, and gentle lady.

A private graveside service for Emily will be held at Sunnyside Cemetery, Coupeville, on Saturday, June 30.