Mary Jeanette Kohler Rodgers

Mary Jeanette Kohler Rodgers passed away on January 16, 2019 at 100 years of age. Mary was born in September of 1918 to Rose Arend and Edmund H. Kohler in St. Paul, MN where she was raised and educated.She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Education. After graduation, she taught high school for several years until joining the United States Navy. She was a member of the WAVES until 1946 achieving the rank of Lieutenant. After her service in the Navy, Mary became a Foreign Service Secretary for the Department of State and served in that capacity from 1947- 1953 in Bucharest, Romania and Guatemala City, Guatemala.In April of 1952, Mary wed William (Bill) H. Rodgers, a Foreign Service Officer with the United States Information Agency. Together over the next 25 years, while serving as Foreign Service Officers, Mary and Bill lived in Guatemala City, El Salvador, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Cost Rica. From 1973-1976 they lived in Bethesda, MD. Upon retirement in 1976 Mary and Bill moved to Sun City, AZ. William H. Rodgers died in 2013. Mary and Bill had been married for 60 years. In Sun City, Mary was employed part time by the Del Webb Development Company for 15 years. She was a volunteer for the Sun City Information and Referral Service for over 25 years as a tutor at Dysart Community Center. An active member of St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, she served as both Eucharistic Minister and Lector, and belonged to Catholic Daughters of Americas, the Seton Society and the Legion of Mary.Mary was predeceased by her parents, Rose Arend and Edmund J. Kohler; her husband, William H. Rodgers; sister, Ruth Kohler Sanders; brother, Edmund Kohler; and nephew, Konrad Kohler. Mary is survived by nieces: Penny Anne Sanders, Katherine Kohler-Ros, Kimberly Kohler Rolfes and Karen M. Kohler, and nephews, Kurt E. Kohler and Daniel R. Miller.The family would like to thank Mary's devoted care-giver and friend Monica Rojas for her years of care and concern for Mary as well as the other care-givers who provided for her care. Funeral services will be held at 11:30 A.M. on Saturday, March 30, 2019, at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, 9728 W. Palmeras Drive, Sun City, AZ, 85373 with a Committal Service immediately following at Sunland Memorial Park, Mortuary and Cremation Center, 15826 N. Del Webb Blvd., Sun City, AZ, 85351.In remembrance of Mary, donations may be made in her honor to St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, 9728 W. Palmeras Drive, Sun City, AZ, 85373 or your favorite charity.