Loula Kendall Rogers papers

Louisa Winifred Kendall Rogers, or Loula Kendall Rogers as she was called, was born August 31, 1838 at the Kendall family home, "Bellwood," Upson County, Georgia, to David Lane (January 18, 1790 - July 28, 1860) and Louisa Hanson Rogers Steele Kendall (October 11, 1804 - December 20, 1881). David Lane Kendall was a physician and plantation owner. This was the second marriage for both of her parents. David Lane Kendall had been married to Anne Reid Brewe November 29, 1802 - September 9, 1826) and this union had produced five children. Louisa Hanson Rogers had been married to James Cuthbert Steele ([1802-1804?] - January 21, 1833) and they had two children. David Lane and Louisa Hanson Rogers Steele Kendall were married January 10, 1836 and produced four children: David Lane (May 31, 1837 - November 28, 1865), Louisa Winifred (August 31, 1838 - June 14, 1931), Julia Helen (April 22, 1841 - June 21, 1910), and Thomas Rogers (February 16, 1845 - October 5, 1936).

Loula Kendall Rogers attended Montpelier Institute, an Episcopal school near Macon, Georgia. From there she went on to attend Wesleyan Female College in Macon, graduating July 16, 1857.

On March 7, 1861, Colonel P. W. Alexander wrote to Loula Kendall requesting that she "make a flag representing the seven seceded states" and included a sketch design. Loula made the flag and it was decided it would be presented to a member of the Upson Guards as they prepared to go off to battle. She presented the flag to James Henry Rogers (April 15, 1840 - September 3, 1875), son of Curran D. (December 24, 1807 - June 4, 1888) and Dorothy Wood Rogers (May 30, 1813 - February 11, 1881). Unfortunately, the present location of this letter is unknown. Henry Rogers, as he was called, served first as a first sergeant (May 11, 1861) and was then elected second lieutenant (April 19, 1862) of the Upson Guards (Fifth Georgia Infantry Regiment, Company K). (A photograph of what may be a model for this flag can be found in subseries 6.1.)

Loula Kendall and James Henry Rogers were married January 3, 1863. Not much is known about Henry Rogers, except for that gleaned from the collection itself. According to correspondence, it appears that after their wedding he continued serving in the Confederate Army, but until when is not clear. He seemed to have been involved in several different ventures including working in the family sawmill (circa 1866), owning a plantation in Wilcox County, Georgia, which he rented out (circa 1867-1875), working for the firm Clayton and Webb, Wholesale Grocers, Commission Agents, and Dealers in Foreign and Domestic Liquors, Atlanta, (circa 1868 1870), serving as a depot agent in Thomaston, Georgia, (1870 September -?), and serving a cotton factor under the same of Rogers and Cheney (circa 1872-1875). During this time, the Rogers family often lived apart, with Loula and the children staying at Bellwood or at the Rogers' family home, Mt. Zephyr. The family did live together during Henry's later days in Atlanta and after he assumed the depot agent position. Henry Rogers died unexpectedly September 3, 1875 and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Thomaston, Georgia.

The death of Henry left Loula to raise their seven children: Simeon William (August 10, 1864 - December 27, 1912), Walter Kendall (August 23, 1866-?), Curran D. (September 12, 1867-?), Helen Graham ([July 30?] - February 14, 1938), James Henry (May 11, 1872-?), Thomas Richard (July 27, 1875 - [May or June] 1931), and Dorothy Louise or Dollie as she was called, (December 25, 1874 - July 10, 1910). She began teaching music at the R. E. Lee Institute, Thomaston, Georgia. In 1879, Loula moved to the primary department of Gordon Institute, Barnesville, Georgia, and taught here for close to twenty-five years.

Loula Kendall Rogers was a prolific poet. In her earlier years she used the non de plume "Leola". Some of her poems were published in Golden Rod and Cypress (Byrd Printing Company, Atlanta, 1914), The Harvest (publisher and date unknown), and Mayflower and Mistletoe (publisher and date unknown). She also had poems and other writings published in the local newspapers.

Loula Kendall Rogers organized the Willie Hunt Smith Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC), in Barnesville (March 27, 1896) and served as its president for over fifteen years (circa 1896-1910). She also served as recording secretary for the UDC-Georgia Division (1896-1897) and as poet laureate (circa 1916-1929). Loula was chaplain and directress of the Children of the Confederacy for the James D. Franklin UDC Chapter in Tennille (1923-1924). A chapter of the Children of the Confederacy bears her name. Along with her UDC work, she also served as chaplain of the Tennille Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Loula Kendall Rogers remained active up until the time of her death, June 14, 1931. She died in the home of her daughter, Helen Graham Rogers Franklin, in Tennille. The funeral was held in the Methodist Church in Tennille. Loula Kendall Rogers was laid to rest in the Greenwood Cemetery, Barnesville.

Biographical Source:Sources used to compile this biographical note include information found in the collection itself, "[Cemetery Records, Upson County, Georgia]," compiled by Jack Morgan and others, 1969, and The Early History of Upson County by Carolyn Walker Nottingham and Evelyn Hannah (J. W. Burke Co., 1930).