Queen: A Woman of Dignity, Faith, and Courage

In many ways, we take for granted each and every hour of the day and each and every moment that God gives us with anybody and in particular , our family and friends. We kind of say Hello casually, we say Goodbye casually, we say see you later casually, we get in our feelings, shut doors on friendships that we developed over the years and just walk away; not realizing the value of every moment we have with a person. It is in those moments that an exchange takes place and when a person transitions into the next dimension of eternity, we should be able to rest in the peace and assurance that we have deposited everything that God would have us to deposit into their lives and that they did the same so when we hear of their passing and prepare to bid an earthly farewell, we can be assured that we are there to celebrate their life. So let everything that have breath praise the Lord for the life of Mrs. Queen Rogers: a beacon of hope, a woman of grace, a woman of essence, a woman of strength. Praise God for Queen and her example of life.

Dignity, elegance, and faith-filled are all words that describe Mrs. Queen Rogers. Growing up in Lumberton, it was common to know all of the adults in every community. At one point, Lumberton was a very close knit community and growing up, I knew Mrs. Queen. However, it was years later that I actually had the privilege to get to know Mrs. Queen. A year or two before her retirement, Mrs. Queen and I worked at Sunbeam in Hattiesburg. Since we were driving from Lumberton, we started car-pooling to work. During those rides to work, we had some very deep as well as light-hearted conversations. On one of our trips to work, Mrs. Queen was dispensing her pearls of wisdom while providing encouragement at the same time. She had a knack of being a good listener as she would always give great advice. I remember falling out with a friend and after listening to my side of the story, Mrs. Queen told me that there's always three sides to every story. She also advised me that friends are made in a moment but they're developed over a lifetime. Again, Mrs. Queen was right and over the course of many years, she became a friend. After she retired, we didn't talk as much but that changed when I joined Gateway Baptist Church. Later, I became Mrs. Queen neighbor when I became the site manager at Woodchase Apartments. Our conversations grew and so did our visits. Almost every day, we would sit out on the porch and talk; sometimes we would share a meal but the conversations were always welcomed. Not only did I fall in love with having her as a neighbor, but I enjoyed calling her my friend. In case you didn't know, Mrs. Queen was an awesome cook and she was as sweet as her tea.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preservers."

Those scriptures describe Queen because she fit the definition of love. She was always willing to do whatever she could to help others; she always had a kind word and never spoke ill of anyone. Until her health failed, Queen was always "serving" at Gateway in any capacity she could. Even after a decline in her health, Queen always made her way to church to give God some praise. Queen loved her biological family, her church family, and friends that she treated like family. Queen was an amazing woman who brought joy to some many during her time here on earth. I hate that she is no longer with us but I know she is no longer in pain; she is no longer suffering. Queen had the misfortune of burying three of her children (Bernard, Danny and Carolyn) but despite suffering the loss of children she bore, she still managed to have a smile on her face while thanking God for another day. Queen was small in stature but she was a Mighty Woman of God. With each obstacle, she refused to give up and she continued each day with grace and dignity. During Sunday School, Queen would dispense her knowledge while showing that she was still eager to learn. I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to sit at her feet, sit in her living room, relax on the porch while watching the sun set and just enjoy her presence. I'm going to miss Queen, her impeccable sense of style, her wisdom, her strength, her perseverance, and her smile. Queen was so much to so many; a sister, daughter, aunt, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She freely gave of her time, talent while serving as the epitome of love. Mrs. Queen lead an extraordinary life filled with faith, love, kindness and wisdom. She did not speak her convictions publically while failing to honor them privately. Queen was a woman of extraordinary grace and dignity and her love and memory will remain in our hearts and spirits forever!