Oct. 22, 1935– Feb. 2, 2026
Lorene Kathryn Rogers (Starr) was born on Oct. 22, 1935 in Duncan, Oklahoma to Carl Clifton and Lula Maye Rogers during the height of the Great Depression. She was the sixth born of nine children. She was born at the family home, which was a small half-dugout with oiled paper windows. Her mother went into labor while cooking dinner and her father rode to town to fetch the local doctor and midwife. Her mother finished cooking and her father and the doctor enjoyed dinner while the midwife delivered baby Kathryn. It was a story often retold, and Kathryn made sure to say each time that her mother arose after giving birth and cleared the table, washed the dishes, then tended to the baby. Kathryn herself
never left a dirty dish in the sink or sat down after a meal until the kitchen was spotless. She took pride in a tidy home where everything had a place.
When Kathryn was two years old the family became ‘Dust Bowl Okies’ and traveled from Oklahoma to California to seek survival picking fruit, cotton, and any other chores that might earn enough to keep mouths somewhat fed. Everyone worked, including the children.
When the economy began to improve, the Rogers’returned to Oklahoma. They continued to work in agriculture, mainly picking cotton. Carl could sometimes find work as a carpenter. Kathryn liked to say that she was very proud to pick cotton as well as her older brothers and sisters even though the cotton sack was much bigger than she was. Her father hung signs in local stores billing them as a ‘Three Bales a Day’ family for hire, meaning they could pick enough cotton in a day’s time to make 3 bales.
Tragedy struck the family in 1945 with the polio epidemic, which killed one of Kathryn’s older brothers and sickened others in the household. Kathryn was lucky not to contract the disease, and her parents sent her to California to live with an aunt until it was safe to return home. While living with her aunt, Kathryn had a knee injury that prevented her from walking for many months and her aunt taught her to knit and crochet to pass the time. This was the beginning of a lifetime of creating beautiful handmade items that she loved to give as gifts. Everyone she knew had a pair of knitted house slippers with a big pom-pom sewn on top. She made her last pairs at the age of 88. Afghans, baby blankets, crocheted dolls with fancy dresses, potholders and many other items formed like magic in her hands. She rarely sat down without a project in her lap.
Throughout her lifetime, Kathryn had seven children: Karla, Bob, Danny, Karen, Patrick, George, and Heather. However, there were many others whom she considered to be her children as she never turned away anyone in need. Her children’s friends were welcome at her house anytime and could stay as long as they liked. In this manner she found an eighth child, Paul, whom she cherished as much as her biological children.
Kathryn always worked hard to make sure those around her had all they needed. She never learned to drive or owned a car and she would rise early in order to walk to work. She had a long career working with the elderly in care homes and also enjoyed working in restaurants and convenience stores where she could visit with her ‘people’. She never met a stranger and had a huge laugh that made everyone smile along with her. She loved music and singing in her croaky voice. Many times in life she was dealt a difficult hand but she never gave up or lost her cheerful attitude, unless you were one of her kids in trouble- then she would roar like a thunderstorm and hug you minutes later.
In December of 2011 Kathryn’s grandson Saxon was born and she left her home in Hollis and moved to the big city of San Antonio to live with her daughter Heather and care for Saxon. She spent over 10 wonderful years with Saxon and often said he ‘made her life over.’ She dedicated herself to his care and taught him many things. She moved with Heather’s family wherever they went and came to Cordell in 2017.
Kathryn made the choice in 2022 to move to the Cordell Christian Home. She was very excited to be the new ‘social butterfly’ at the Home and greatly enjoyed her first year there before a heart attack and advancing dementia clouded her mind. By 2024 she was fully reliant on the Home’s staff to tend to her physical needs, which they did with the utmost love and care. Her honorary granddaughter, Ginny, spent countless hours with her not only as family but as a nurse in the Memory Care Unit of the Home.
Kathryn died peacefully on February 2nd with her precious Saxon and other family members by her side.
Kathryn was preceded in death by her parents, siblings Myrtie Maye, Jake, Clara Jo, Paul Glendyle, Virginia, Carl Jr., Tommy, and Garland, daughters Karla and Karen, daughter-in-law Geraldine, and Grandson Robert. She was also preceded in death by husbands Sewell Hillis, George Heys, Barry Hubanks, and Cecil Starr.
She is survived by her children Danny Hillis, Bob Hillis, Patrick Heys and wife Heather, George Heys, Heather Benavidez and husband Ruben, and Paul Guevara. She is also survived by several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be planned at a later date.