Nick Lampson: “Southeast Texas said good-bye to Julie Rogers last week. Julie Rogers, and her late husband, Ben, displayed the finest…”

“Southeast Texas said good-bye to Julie Rogers last week. Julie Rogers, and her late husband, Ben, displayed the finest example of citizenship throughout their lives that I have ever known. "Extraordinary" is the only word our language provides us to describe the qualities Julie Rogers displayed throughout her 83 years. In an era where women were supposed to stand in the background, Julie's intelligence and talent stood out. She was born and grew up in Chicago. She finished college at age 16 and earned her law degree from DePaul University when she was only 19 years old. While in Chicago, Julie fell in love with a promising young man named Ben Rogers. The couple moved to Texas in 1936 to seek their own portion of the American Dream. Through hard work, the Rogers family prospered and Julie and Ben Rogers were able to share their love for each other with the entire community. Julie was a talented violinist and her love of music motivated her to promote the fine arts. She helped organize the Beaumont Symphony and the Texas Arts Alliance. As we laid Julie to rest, two internationally acclaimed artists, pianist Van Cliburn and opera singer Roberta Peters performed in her honor. The funeral was held in the Julie Rogers Theater for the Performing Arts. While the lives of the people of Southeast Texas will be greatly enriched by the Rogers' promotion of the arts, their love and care for the people around them will be their legacy.”