Linda Gail Fletcher Rogers 7 July 1940 to 29 November 2019

Alzheimer’s disease works on the human body in ways that are similar to that of stream that flows down the side of a majestic mountain. The stream pries loose small bits of the rocks and soil and carries them away to parts unknown. Over time, the mountain becomes a hill, and the hill becomes a plain. In the case of Alzheimer’s, this slow erosion begins in the outer reaches of the inner self. Small pieces of the person’s mind are washed away and slowly erode essence of a soul away till that they no longer resemble the person that you knew. There comes a point when enough of the inner person is carried off and the outer body can no longer support the void within and collapses in upon itself. My mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s arrived at this breaking point in the early hours of November 29th.

Mom was an absolutely ordinary mom in most ways. She was an expert in fixing scraped knees and cleaning bloody noses. She exhibited a very high tolerance for dead birds and animals in her freezer, not to mention live ones in her living room. She was a mostly fair mediator of disputes among her son and two daughters. She fought hard not to lose her temper when underwhelming school report cards were presented to her. She tried, but failed, not to cry when she took her kids to faraway colleges. She was a southern-mom, so she made great fried chicken.

Where she clearly departed from the norm was her passion to see that all young girls had the opportunity to reach their full potential. For most of her adult life, she was a professional Girl Scout with a career that spanned three decades, culminating as the executive director of the Pisgah Girl Scout Council of Western North Carolina. I could spend a lot of time listing the many things that she did to move girls forward, but I know for a fact the one thing in which she was most proud. It was Camp Pisgah.

Coming from a family that regularly camped, canoed, and backpacked, she knew the profound effects that quality time in the woods can have on a person. When she started with the Pisgah Council, she immediately saw its camp nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains as an underdeveloped diamond in the rough. She set out to make it a premier summer program that would be available to all girls who wanted to be there, not just the ones who could afford to be there. She succeeded. It became a model program for other girl scout camps across the country. Every girl was welcomed.

Another way that Mom was extraordinary was in the love for her grandchildren. There was not one single visit where she hadn’t thought for months about what they would do together. Hanging with Grandma meant cuddling, art, popcorn and movies and jumping on beds. Being with Grandma meant that someone cared about everything you had to say and thought you were the superhero.

Mom loved her family, adored her grandchildren, and along with my dad, helped thousands of young kids see a brighter tomorrow. We miss you both very much.

A memorial service followed by a remembrance time to celebrate mom’s life will be held on December 22 at 2:00 PM at;

Heath Springs Baptist Church

101 North Main Street

Heath Springs, South Carolina