{"id":877,"date":"2012-08-04T18:12:21","date_gmt":"2012-08-04T22:12:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tngenweb.org\/decatur\/?p=877"},"modified":"2012-08-04T19:03:46","modified_gmt":"2012-08-04T23:03:46","slug":"dr-rogers-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tngenweb.org\/decatur\/dr-rogers-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Rogers Day in Decaturville"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dr.<\/a>
Dr. Rogers Day – 1951<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Labor Day was set as a day to recognize outstanding local citizens in Decaturville for many years.\u00a0 The event was sponsored by the 45-member civic club who set Labor Day as a permanent annual homecoming date for a big celebration in tribute to some outstanding citizen of Decatur County.\u00a0 The initial program on Monday, Sept 1, 1947 honored Decatur County\u2019s venerable country doctor, Dr. Tav Rogers, as he reviewed a parade of hundreds of his \u201cbabies\u201d ranging in ages from two weeks to 58 years.<\/p>\n

The deliver-bouquets-to-the-living idea was so popular that club members voted to make the day honoring labor go a little further each time by calling up for special recognition some man or woman who had worked so long and hard among them.<\/p>\n

The plan was for Dr. Rogers to remain the outstanding guest at each year\u2019s gathering as long as he lived.\u00a0 Other annual top-notchers in turn joined him to form the panel of county greats to watch newcomers ushered into their own hall of fame.\u00a0 Mrs. Lela Stout<\/a> was honored at the second such event in 1948.\u00a0 Mrs. Stout is believed to have taught more than half of Decaturville\u2019s townspeople in the first grade during her 40-odd years of school teaching.<\/p>\n

Honorees include Dr. Tav Rogers, Lela Stout, Hettie Miller, Kittie McMillan, Houston Chalk, Rev. O. H. Lafferty, P. H. Welch, Lillian Vise and Jesse W. Blount, Mrs. W. L. Wheat and J. Hyder Smith.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rogers Day through the years<\/h3>\n