Bettina Ruth Stanford Rogers was born on September 15, 1949, in Richton, Mississippi. She passed peacefully on Saturday, December 14, 2019. Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, A. Frank Stanford and Dorothy G. Stanford; and her brothers, Frank Stanford and Wayne Guthrie. She leaves behind three daughters, Shawn Marie Rogers, Rebecca Rogers and Carrie Rogers Prysock, with husband Michael Prysock; eight grandchildren, Aubrey, Brandon, Wesley, Emily, Abigail, Jack, Samuel and Scout; and one great-grandchild, Bo Lane, born on December 5th.

Mom was born in Mississippi in 1949 to Evie Shaw and Henry Lewis of Tennessee. She was placed for adoption and adopted by Dorothy Gilbert, and later her husband, Frank Stanford. Her brother Frankie was adopted the prior year. Mom's earliest years were spent in Memphis. Her godparents were Hal Wallis, producer of Elvis Presley's movies, and Louise Fazenda, an American film actress. In 1963, her family moved to Mountain Home, Arkansas, where they spent summers on Norfork Lake. Mom attended Mountain Home High School, where she met her lifelong best friend, Susan House. She later attended and graduated from St. Scholastica Academy. Mom was a cheerleader and a mischief-maker, and she adored her brother Frankie, who became a nationally recognized poet.  Her mother Dorothy worked at Subiaco Abbey for many years, where she managed the Coury House of Subiaco Academy, in Subiaco, Arkansas, where Frankie attended school. In 1970, Mom married Larry Rogers and had three perfect daughters, Shawn, Rebecca, and Carrie. As a single mother, Mom later accepted a job in Little Rock in the hopes of being able to better provide for her children. Mom worked for 30 years overseeing HUD properties throughout Arkansas, including serving in one of the most challenged areas of Little Rock. Recognizing that where families lived contributed to their future success and well-being, Mom worked tirelessly to clean up the communities she served, earning awards for her efforts and securing numerous grants to improve living conditions for low-income families. In 2000, Mom moved to Plainview, Arkansas, where she built her treasured home on two acres of heaven. She lived there until her daughters made her "move into town" so that they could better care for her.

In the last years of Mom's life, she learned she had a brother, Wayne Guthrie, of Texas, whom she was able to meet, and she was thrilled to see a resemblance in her big brother's face. She also later learned she had seven additional brothers and one little sister, Betty Ruth.

Mom was a lifelong Arkansas Razorback fan and she may or may not be wearing a Hogs shirt as she enters her renewed life with Our Heavenly Father. Mom could name any plant or flower in the South. She had a dry wit and was a woman of few words as life went on. She was also generous and smart, and liberal in her use of "mom guilt" on her daughters. What we saw was really a vulnerability and desire to be around family and those who would love her unconditionally. And we do.

Funeral mass services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 18th, at St. Benedict Parrish at Subiaco Abbey in Subiaco, Arkansas, with burial immediately following at St. Benedict Cemetery. All are welcome. Services are under the direction of Brotherton Brothers Funeral Home in Paris.

Pallbearers are Wesley Wilhite, Michael Prysock, Michael Henson, Brendan Turner, Daniel Campbell, Greg Hendrix, Matt White, and Bill Willett.

To pay an online tribute, please visit www.brothertonbrothersfuneralhomes.com.