Joyce Rogers

Joyce Leatherman Rogers

After 95 years, Joyce Leatherman Rogers finally got her wish “to just go to sleep and wake up in heaven” on December 3, 2019.  She grew up on West Church Street with her mother and grandparents, Melvin and Amanda Bumgardner Newton.  Raised in the Baptist faith, Joyce and her husband, T.C., stressed the importance of living a Christian life and getting a good education.  If the doors to the church opened, all three of their children were expected to be there (and they were).  Both graduated from Cherryville High School and lived their entire lives there.  With the nation involved in WWII she wanted to do her patriotic duty as well, so she and several cousins sneaked a ride on a Carolina Freight Carriers truck and went to Baltimore to work in an airplane factory. After the war, she married T.C. in 1944 and remained married for 62 years until his death in 2006.  For fifty years she taught the First Baptist Church Sunday School Class to three year old children. There was also a long span of time that she and T.C. prepared Communion at the church as well.  When the children were young, she worked for many years at Sweetree Manufacturing.  In the 1970’s she began working with T.C. in the real estate business.  As T.C. built homes in the Cherryville and Sunset Beach areas, she became the interior decorator coordinating and selecting color schemes for the new construction.  For the homes in the Sunset Beach area, she also selected all furniture as well.

She was the daughter of Kenneth and Eva Newton Leatherman.  Preceding her in death were her husband, T.C. and a grandson, Neman Bates.

Surviving are her three children, Rita (Gerry) Ginaine of Fayetteville, Hilda Bates of Cherryville and Michael (Beth) Rogers of Sunset Beach. Her five surviving grandchildren are Danielle (Murray) Fink of Huger, SC, Jennifer (Michael) Philbeck of Cherryville, Meredith (Matt) Edmister of New Bern, NC, Laura (Adam) Massey of Lutz, FL, and Dillon (Kayla) Rogers of Midland, NC.  Great grandchildren are Madeline Fink, Sadie Fink, Zen Bates, Madison Philbeck, Gracie Jackson, Lani Philbeck, Hunter Jackson, Kinslee Philbeck, Mara Edmister, Gregory Edmister, and Finley Massey.

A Celebration of Joyce’s life will be held at 2PM Thursday December 5, 2019 at Carpenter-Porter Funeral and Cremation Services in Cherryville with Rev. Dr. Bill Lowe officiating.

Her family will receive friends from 1 to 1:45PM prior to her service at the funeral home.

Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Cherryville High School Education Foundation, P.O. Box 301, Cherryville, NC 28021, to Robin Johnson Hospice House, 5005 Shepard’s Way Drive, Dallas, NC  28034 or to the charity of your choice.