Family and friends will sorely miss their prayer warrior, Caroline May Rogers Gaby, but rejoice that she is celebrating eternal life with her Lord and Savior.  Caroline, 88, passed away Friday evening, October 5, 2018 at the Abbie Hunt Bryce Home in Indianapolis. Her loving caretakers at the home where she had lived since June called her Miss Caroline.

Being the only daughter of five children born to Helen Jeanette Houk Rogers and Glen O Rogers on May 23, 1930, she spent many childhood days helping her mother on the Idaville, Indiana farm and keeping her four brothers, Milton “Pat” Rogers, Merle Rogers, Marlin “Buck”, and Melvin “Pete” out of mischief. Her brothers adored her not only when they were young but also throughout their own lives.

Caroline loved learning. She graduated from Royal Centre Regional High School in 1948 and then after raising a family she returned to school and earned her nursing degree at Southwestern College, Michigan.  She lovingly cared for patients in a medical center in Texas, St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis, and homes in the Indianapolis area.

Her first grandchild, Steven Wentland, called her “Nanny” and the name stuck as 6 more grandchildren and four great grandchildren came on the scene. Caroline was all about her children and their children and their children, supporting and loving each one.  Nanny loved to cook for her ever growing and changing family. Grandchildren would request her Lemon Meringue Pie that had a layer of sky-high meringue. Another requested favorite was Chicken Curry, a recipe from a foreign exchange student from India that lived with the family for a year.  Besides cooking, Nanny enjoyed gardening and landscaping. Her son, Steven, has dug several tree holes throughout his mom’s life, as it was quite a process for Caroline to find the perfect spot for a new tree or bush. Another source of joy for Caroline was selecting greeting cards for birthdays, anniversaries, and other events. She might spend an hour searching and selecting a card that had the just right message. She was also a woman who really enjoyed doing laundry. A later enjoyment that came later in life was a surprise to her family…watching the Indiana Pacers and the Indianapolis Colts.

Caroline has left a legacy for her friends, family, and those she met of being a kind, strong, caring, self-less, independent woman that let her love of Christ shine through her.

Survivors include a daughter, Cheryl Collier, and son, Steven Gaby, one brother, Melvin (Lois) Rogers, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. An infant daughter and another daughter, Sandra Kay, her parents and three brothers, preceded her in death.  

The family is grateful for the supportive, loving caretakers and staff at Abbie Bryce Hunt Home and St. Vincent’s Hospice.

A celebration of life will take place at a later date. Ashes will placed at Davis Cemetery, Burnettsville, Indiana.