Delma Edith Rodgers

Delma Edith Harbert Rodgers, born February 8, 1929, to John Perry Harbert and Helen Priscilla Grimm Harbert at their home, NE of Campo.  She was the 2 nd of 9 children.

Her childhood was spent in Baca County, mostly in Campo.  Her family moved frequently, maybe because of her dad’s work.  The stock market crashed in late 1929. Depression spread nationwide.  Not long afterward, dust storms began.  Delma had vivid memories of happenings at different places where they lived.  Her dad, with a team of horses, helped build the road south and west of Campo.

One memory was of the railroad being built from Las Animas to Boise City, OK. When she was in first grade, the school wasn’t very far away, so pupils walked closer to watch the railroad rails being laid by the first African Americans she had ever seen.

Before Delma started to school, they had a Victrola that played 78 rpm records.  Her parents sang parts and all the family learned to sing and harmonize which they enjoyed down through years when they were together.  Times were hard, but the family always had homemade bread and milk.  They always had two milk cows.

Delma always heard about God due to her aunt and uncle being ministers.  When her parents became Christians, they attended church when possible and revivals at schoolhouses.  She was saved, January 7, 1944, by giving her heart to the Lord at a tent meeting in Campo, located behind where the Wesleyan church is now.  There wasn’t a pre-school.  When she started first grade, and even though she couldn’t read, she carried a New Testament with her, fellowshipping with her Savior. Romans 8:16 ( The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God)

At the age of 12, Delma began doing housework, feeding chickens, cleaning eggs, milking cows, feeding bucket calves for friends on the weekends and during the summer.  She made $4, then $5 per week.  Her first job of keeping books was at Campo Co-op for Jess Schuler, posting rationing stamps in a book. During World War II, gas, tires, shoes, sugar, etc. were rationed.  Families received stamps according to how many were in a family.

Delma graduated from Campo High School in May 1946, a year early.  She married Loy L. Rodgers on June 26, 1946, in Clayton, New Mexico.  They were blessed with three children, Gailyn Deverle, March 11, 1949; Glenda Lanette, October 8, 1950; and Gloria Eileen, June 8, 1953.

She was a stay-at-home mom and was very involved in farm life. In addition to regular household duties, she gardened, took care of the lawn, and sewed her girls’ and her clothes. She could dress a chicken, kill a snake or do whatever else was necessary on the farm. She cooked three meals a day for her family, a hired man, and for a number of years for broomcorn laborers, also. On the farm, they raised broom corn, milo, wheat, and alfalfa for 33 years. In addition to farming, they raised Hereford cattle, Quarter horses, chickens, peafowls, geese, and Amos, the peacock.  They planted lots of trees on their farm 8 miles east of Campo where they lived 20 plus years and where the children grew up.  She also was very involved in the Campo Pentecostal Holiness Church and participated in ‘singings’ and other special events at other churches in the area.

In 1979, they retired from farming and moved to Aransas Pass, Texas.  Delma kept books for Loy’s business, volunteered for 20 years at a nursing home, encouraging and doing mending for the residents.  She was named Volunteer of the Year in 1994.

In addition to her homemaking and volunteering, she did custom quilting, taught neighbor girls to crochet, and made waitress aprons for local café.  She was very active in church, taught Sunday School, as well as served as secretary of ladies’ group.

In spite of having 7 hip replacements (revisions) over a 50-year period, the 1 st in 1967, she lived an active life, cooking fish and entertaining many friends and relatives who came from Colorado and other states to visit during the 21 years in south Texas.

In August 2000, they moved to Springfield, Colorado due to Loy’s health. She cared for Loy until his death in 2014.  She continued to be involved with residents in the long-term facility, quilting, and serving in her church.  In 2003, she made quilts for her three children and six grandchildren for Christmas.  She visited her family in Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina during the next few years.

On her 85 th birthday, she began recording ‘her story’.  In addition to sharing her family happenings, she shared life during the depression, the dust bowl, when the railroad came to the area, and interactions with cousins and other Baca County families including the Jenkins, Dixons, Wilcoxes, Tanners, and Winegarners.  Howard and Cecil Winegarner would come down and play with the Harberts.  One time when they visited, they had a funeral for a bird!

In October 2018 she moved to Oklahoma City to be close to her daughter, Gloria, and family.  She enjoyed living at Hefner Mansion, an independent living center.  There were lots of interesting people and activities there.  She celebrated her 90 th birthday there. A little later, she moved to an assisted living center then to the Memory Care facility at Tealridge Retirement Community where she had a special caregiver, Shelby.  Shelby and the special people from Traditions Hospice helped make her last days pass smoothly.

Pre-deceased by:

Her husband, Loy, her parents, her sisters, LaVelda Tingliff, Deloris Raines, LaVada Rodgers, Wanda Jenkins and her brother, Danny Harbert.

She is survived by:

Gailyn Rodgers and Gay Chalfant, Amarillo, TX. Grandkids and great grandkids: Angie & Jacob Lester, Abby, Ava, & Harper Jobe & Ashley Rodgers, Anna & Grey

Glenda and Jerry Boone, Lavonia, GA. Grandkids and great grandkids: Kristen Boone; Erin & Brad Burton, Dane, Helena & Avery

Gloria and Torrey Antone, Oklahoma City, OK. Grandkids and great grandkids: Tia Nitzel, Taylor & Kaden Timothy & Amber Antone, Colt Bricker & Kali Antone

Survived by Sisters: Wilma Shaw (Kenneth) Mary Maggard (Albert) and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

Things Delma Loves:

Sunsets Rainbows

Butterflies Cardinals

A sense of Humor

Harmonizing and singing Gospel songs