Former state senator and Gary educator Earline Rogers died Thursday at the age of 89, her family said.
Earline Rogers, a Democrat, served 26 years in the state Senate and eight years in the House. State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, said he most remembers her ability to work with Democrats and Republicans to pass bills that benefited Gary and the whole state.
“She was respected on both sides,” Smith said. “She’s in the minds of people. When they think of Gary, they think of her.”
A Gary native, Earline Rogers was married to her husband for 65 years, and they had two children, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren, Keith Rogers said. His mother grew up with four siblings, he said.
Earline Rogers was a Gary teacher for 38 years, where she taught at Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School for the majority of her career, Keith Rogers said.
His mother was first and foremost a teacher, Keither Rogers said, as he recalled her working with him on his math and spelling skills as a child.
“She used to flashcard me to death,” Keith Rogers said with a laugh.
The students were her first priority as a teacher, Keith Rogers said, and she always worked hard to support and help them. Those same qualities translated to her time as a legislator and the work she did for her constituents.
Then-Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson stands with Indiana state Sen. Earline Rogers in October 2016 during a rally in front of the Genesis Convention Center. Rogers died Thursday at age 89. (Post-Tribune/file)
As a teacher, Rogers was a member of the teacher’s union, her son said. At the time, the union members kept saying they needed politicians who understood education, so his mother decided to step up.
She ran for a state representative seat, Keith Rogers said, but lost. After that campaign, Earline Rogers ran for Gary Common Council and won. She left the council when she was elected as a state representative.
Her legacy as a legislator was drafting the state’s casino bill and countless education bills, said former State Rep. Charlie Brown.
“She was 110% behind legislation for education,” Brown said.
Rogers also drafted the legislation that changed the state’s death penalty following the murder trial of 15-year-old Paula Cooper, Keith Rogers said.
Cooper fatally stabbed 78-year-old Bible study teacher Ruth Pelke, which made Cooper Indiana’s youngest person on death row. Cooper’s sentence was eventually commuted to a prison term, and she was released in 2013. She died in 2015 at the age of 45, according to the Associated Press.
“Mom believed in giving people second chances,” Keith Rogers said.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton in a statement said he strives to honor Rogers’ memory of service and dedication.
“On behalf of the City of Gary, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the Rogers family,” Melton said. “Her dedication to representing our region in Indianapolis has been immensely valuable to the residents of Gary and the broader community.”
Melton succeeded Rogers as the 3rd District Indiana State Senator in 2016. In his statement, Melton called the succession a privilege.
He also praised her contributions to the city as a teacher for the Gary Community School Corporation and as an education consultant. Rogers also served as president and member of the Gary Common Council from 1980 to 1982.
“Her passion for advocating for Gary and Northwest Indiana was unparalleled,” Melton said.
Smith and Rogers’ career paths crossed multiple times, Smith said, because they were both educators in Gary, both served on the Gary Common Council and went on to the state house. Smith said he served in Rogers’ house seat after she moved to serve in the senate.
As a legislator, Rogers was tenacious, driven, committed and didn’t accept defeat.
“There were many people who didn’t want to cross her because she had a fire,” Smith said.
Brown said Rogers was “a very, very forceful lady” and a “pitbull,” who regularly crossed the political aisle to get legislation moving forward and passed.
“Earline would not give up easily. She’d make her opinions known to every and anyone,” Brown said. “Earline was a fighter for Gary. Don’t get in her way in what she thought was right and proper for Gary.”
State Senator Earline Rogers explains to the board how she disagrees with IBOE board member Tony Walker’s assessment of the state of Dunbar-Pulaski Career and Academic Academy on Thursday, March 12, 2015. Rogers, 89, died Thursday. (Post-Tribune/file)
Former Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson called Rogers a trailblazer and a mentor. Freeman-Wilson was high school classmates with Rogers’ son and she learned more about politics through Rogers’ city council campaign.
“She told us we could have a party if we invited our friends and got them to register to vote,” Freeman-Wilson remembered. “We were all about the party initially, but ultimately it became all about the politics and the campaign.”
Rogers’ greatest contribution was her help in creating the state’s casino gaming industry, Freeman-Wilson said, adding that everyone across Indiana has benefited from her legislation
The former state senator was also a leader for labor and teacher unions, Freeman-Wilson said.
“She was someone who really promoted and made sure that everyone’s voice was heard in the political space and in the public policy space,” she added.
Caren Jones, executive director of the YWCA of Northwest Indiana, said she was introduced to Rogers at about 8 years old when Rogers was her third-grade teacher at Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School.
Rogers was a board member and supporter of the YWCA. She made her mark with wisdom, kindness, leadership and her belief in women’s empowerment, Jones said.
“Even now that she’s no longer with us, her spirit will live on in all of us,” Jones said. “We held her in high regard, and we’re going to carry on the mission of Earline Rogers.”
Lake County Democratic Party Chairman Jim Wieser said Rogers really knew her politics and was highly respected by her colleagues.
“She was a champion for her constituents. She would bat for them every day at the statehouse,” Wieser said.
Keith Rogers said he’ll always remember the lesson his mother taught him: Regardless of the situation, do the right thing. What he’ll miss most, he said, is their long talks.
“We used to have good conversations – intellectual conversations. Just talking to her and all the advice she’d give me,” Keith Rogers said.
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