A Loss To The Fishing World.

[denjac]

He was a great guy and will be missed.

JIM ROGERS

LAMAR-Services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at Grace Lutheran Church for Jim Rogers, 80, Lamar, who died Friday, April 27, 2012, at Truman Healthcare Center. Rev. Galen Friedrichs will officiate. Burial will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery.

Visitation will be held Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Daniel Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to Grace Lutheran Church Scholarship Fund or Leon Owen Scholarship Fund, in care of the funeral home.

Condolences may be left at www.danielfuneralhome.net.

Survivors include his wife, Babe Rogers, of the home; two sons and their wives, Steve and Cindy Rogers, Kansas City, Mo., and Russ and Rhonda Rogers, Independence; three daughters, Paula Dixon, Lamar, Pat Rogers, Rogers, Ark., and Sharon and husband David Martin, Grapevine, Texas; 12 grandchildren, Case Dighero, Chris (Jennifer Marti) Dixon, Stevie (Antoinette) Rogers, Eric (Ana) Rogers, Ryan (Allison) Martin, Heather (West) Harris, Amanda (Scott) Kentner, Megan (Cody) McCollough, Nicole Solomon, Mandy (Kevin) Sellmeyer, Shannon (Vince) Peisert, Holly Shay (Fernando) Mendez, and 19 great-grandchildren, Jordan, Austin and Daniel Sellmeyer, Joshua Goodridge, Andrew Mendez, Jack Solomon, Jaxon and Kyson Dixon, Van Kentner Madison and Savannah Peisert, Sicily, Eliza, Kentner, Lily and Georgi Dighero, Hailey Goodridge, Rorie and Marrah McCullough and Chrislyn Dixon.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Doris Jo Criswell, and a son, Bobby Rogers.

Mr. Rogers was born June 26, 1931, at Shidler, Okla., to James and Olga (Galloupe) Rogers. At the age of five he moved with his family to a turkey and chicken farm east of Sheldon. After graduating from Sheldon High School in 1949 he earned accreditation in railroad communications and went to work for the Rock Island Railroad in Manley, Iowa, later switching to the MO-Pacific Railroad, where he worked through 1961 as a telegraph operator. While working for the railroad full time, he was crafting lures in his spare time, first for family and friends, then worldwide after establishing Rogers Lures in 1959. He traveled the country hosting fishing seminars and trick-casting demonstrations. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Fishing in Hayward, Wisc. in 2004. He and his wife were inducted into NFLCC of Antique Fishing Lure Collectors in 1997 and had the distinction of being the only man and wife team. They won the Mr. and Mrs. World Series of Sports Fishing Tournaments in 1963 and 1966. In 1977 he won the Indiana State Tournament and the New York Invitational Tournament and also qualified for the B.A.S.S. Masters Classic at Lake Toko, Fla.

He had a TV show, “Fishing with Jim Rogers” on KOAM Channel 7, sponsored by Gibsons, that was syndicated to other areas of the U.S. He also had a radio program on KKOW, “The Fishing Report”. He appeared on many segments of the “Fishing Hole”. Over the many years of tournament fishing, he always placed in the top 10. He was a member of B.A.S.S. He gave of his time and talent to Special Olympics for many years, teaching fishing at Gastons Resort in Lakeview, Ark. and Steam Boat Springs, Colo. He was an instructor for Indiana State University for 14 years, as well as an instructor of a fishing school for the City Parks and Recreation Dept. of Lincoln, Neb. for 13 years. He is also included in the “100 Living Legends of Sports Fishing”.

He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, where he was an Elder, a youth leader and a Sunday school teacher.

He married Babe (Blanchard) Rogers on Nov. 26, 1950, at St. James Church, north of Milford.

[Bill Babler]

Thanks Dennis. Truly a legand.

[Chief Grey Bear]

He was one hell of a man and a true blessing to the fishing world. I spoke with the new owners of his shop a couple of weeks ago and news of his decline was deeply saddening. God Bless Mr. Jim Rogers.

[dtrs5kprs]

_{Met him at a show in Des Moines way back in the '80s when they had a small store there. Was super nice to a fat goofy kid. Could trick cast like Shag Shahid. He was sitting at the Rogers booth roll casting spinner baits into cups and handbags as people went past. Prayers to the family. Still the best local shop in KC.}