The Greater Victoria Eldercare Foundation has received a $34-million bequest, one of the largest legacy gifts to be dedicated to seniors care in Canada.
Mary Elizabeth Rogers, age 100, passed away peacefully Saturday, December 3, at her Heritage Woods home in Flora, Illinois. She was born on July 22, 1922, to Herman and Eunice (Bumgarner) Bower and grew up near Xenia, where she spent most of her life. On December 24, 1940, she married Dwight Rogers, and their marriage lasted more than six decades until his death in 2002. Elizabeth lovingly worked with her husband on many endeavors through the years including on the family farm and as he served the US military and pastored numerous area General Baptist churches. The two were members of the Pleasant Mound General Baptist Church of Xenia. Elizabeth will be remembered by everyone who knew her as a loving, faithful, prayerful member of the community. She was an excellent cook, serving for several years in the Xenia Grade School cafeteria and volunteering in the kitchen at church camps. Among her culinary specialties were refrigerator pickles, pecan pie, chopped apple pie, and melt-in-your-m
Esther Pauline Thomason, age 92, of Flora, Illinois, passed away Sunday, November 27, 2022, at Flora Gardens Care Center. She was born July 27, 1930, in Olney, the daughter of Peter and Stella (Scherer) Fulk. She was united in marriage to Raymond Thomason on September 3, 1951, and together they shared 51 wedding anniversaries until his death on January 7, 2003. Pauline was a graduate of Richland County High School. She loved flowers, and her green thumb produced beautiful gardens year-round; taking walks until she physically could no longer do so was one of her favorite daily rituals; she loved playing Bingo with all her friends at Heritage Woods; and doing daily word search puzzles kept her busy. When she was younger, she volunteered endless hours at a local nursing home, as she loved helping others. She enjoyed getting together with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Pauline's pride and joy was that she and her husband Raymond adopted five children from Korea.