Notes for Lola Rogers: THORNHILL, LOLA MAE (ROGERS) 04/02/1908 - 05/16/2004 AGE 95 YRS 1 MONTH AND 14 DAYS Social Security Number 413-09-5223A Born April 2, 1909 as the daughter of John and Mary Rogers She was one of nine children of John and Mary Rogers preceded in death by all her four brothers and four sisters, and her husband Frank Morrison Thornhill of over 64 years. She was a devout Christian lady who set a great example all her life and had a host of friends and family who loved her dearly, and will be missed by all who had made her acquaintance.
MARRIED Frank Morrison Thornhill on or about 1930 and was married to him for over 64 years and was a faithful wife to him up to and through his death in August 1994.
1940 +/- Moved to Portsmouth, Virginia circa 1940 and lived there working in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and other places and last at Drug Store as a cosmetics clerk, attended 4th Street Baptist Church in Portsmouth, Va.
1970 Moved back to Knoxville, TN to Crystal lake Drive for a brief period of approx. 3 to 5 years then moved to Sky Drive off Clinton highway in Knoxville, TN then to Chillicothe Ave in the West haven Area of Knoxville, TN, then to Carlton Towers Apartments on Forest Park Blvd. And finally to Towers on Deane Hill Drive before having to go to Brakebill Nursing Facility at Westland Drive, then transferred to Heritage Assisted Living Center on Coleman Rd. Knoxville, TN where she stayed approximately 2 years from approx. 2002 to Nov 2003 then moved to Heritage Assisted Living Center on Peters Road up until March 2004 and then started having dementia problems and possibly Alzheimer's disease and at one point she "escaped" from Heritage Assisted Living Center in her wheel chair and was found going south on Coleman Road approximately 2 blocks away toward the Interstate I-40, but not injured. She was then brought back to Heritage assisted Living center on Coleman Road and Peggy (The Manager) said she would be guarded closer and would have to leave if she "escaped: again and she did and Peggy suggested she be transferred to Heritage Assisted Living Center on Peters Road in West Knoxville, where they could handle "escapees" better as they had a fenced area out of the building with alarms on the doors for such type patients. Lola was able to stay at Heritage Assisted Living Center on Peters Road until approx. march 2004 at which time she became to where she needed more skilled care and Jerry & Carolyn Cunningham her guardians transferred her to Hillcrest South Nursing Facility until her death in May 2004.
She was a tremendous influence on Jerry and Carolyn Cunningham as a second mother figure and all that knew her and represented Jesus Christ as a Christian lady of extremely good report with not only her finances as long as she could, but in her life as well and was always willing to give of herself to help any just cause that she could.
Pastor: Rev. George Gilbert 3108 Tipton Station Rd. Knoxville, TN 37920 Phone (865) 579-5229
Relatives Husband: Frank Morrison Thornhill (Deceased) August 1994 Father: John Rogers B 1872 D1917 Buried Liberty Hill , NC Mother: Mary Rogers Brothers: Roy Rogers, Henry Rogers, Everett Rogers, Sherman Rogers, Leonard Rogers Sisters: Ethel Rogers Roach, Cordelia Rogers Ball, Lilly Rogers Roach Cousins: Too Numerous to begin Nieces: Norma (Ball) Campbell, Grace Ruth (Ball) Cunningham, Charlotte, (Parrott) Valentine, Mary Roach Lewis Cossville, TN Ruth Ventris Nephews: Jack Valentine(Deceased) Great Nephews: Bud Rogersand wife Janice, Arlie Ronald Cunningham and wife Linda Hemby Cunningham , Jerry Lennis Cunningham, Sr. and wife carolyn Sue McCoy Cunningham, Walter David Ralph Cunningham, Charles Calvin Cunningham, Steve Valentine of 79 Lincoln Ave. Saratoga, NY (518) 583-3764 Great Nieces: Sandra (Valentine) Gheen and husband Jimmy (865) 690-1540 residence 9217 Westland Drive, Knoxville, TN 37922, Gail (Valentine) Merriman and husband Gary (865) 992-2334 residence 163 Meadow Breeze Rd. Corryton, TN 37721 Great Great Nephews: Jerry Lennis Cunningham, Jr and wife Tiffany Paige Walker, Christopher David Cunningham, and Dustin paul Cunningham (Deceased at age 16 12/1995)
Great Great Great Nieces: Jordin Alexis Cunningham daughter of jerry Lennis and Tiffany Paige Walker Cunningham
05/13/04 Thursday 1:30pm Jerry Cunningham, Sr. received a phone call from Hillcrest South Nursing Home from phone 246-1005 from a lady named Bonnie Benkain (Mobile Phone 406-8986) who said she was a Speech Therapist or more so a swallowing therapist for Hillcrest and she had seen Lola and she was slumped over in her wheel chair and not able to sit up and was incoherent and also could not swallow and she had the nursing staff to put her to bed and put her on a puree diet trying to get her in a position to be able to receive a liquid type nutrition and a more comfortable position and that she appeared as a person who may have had either a stroke or maybe some mini strokes and was not functional and no tests or other medical advice was given for Lola as per this lady and jerry Cunningham, Sr agreed that Lola was just about gone and she was just "worn out".
1:45pm Jerry C. sr. then also tried to call Lola's niece Norma Campbell at 690-8995 and she was not home so he left a message for her to call him at home at 688-1100.
2:00pm Jerry C. Sr. then called Rev. George Gilbert 579-5229 who is and was her previous pastor for many years and she had the greatest respect and admiration for and had left with Jerry C. sr. her wishes to ask him to perform her funeral when the time came to have to do so if he was available and willing to do that. George Gilbert who was not pastoring now but was on staff at Central Baptist in Alcoa, TN, was very kind and compassionate as always and agreed whole heartedly to be the one to do her funeral when the need arose. And Jerry asked him about some of the other deacons or men at Northwest Baptist Church where Lola last attended and where her membership was. George said that a man named Ken Ellis (Halls Area) Phone 922-6559 a deacon of Northwest Baptist Church of Knoxville, TN would want to be a pall bearer for her funeral and to bring food to the family and notation was made by Jerry Lennis Cunningham, Sr.
5/14/04 Saturday Carolyn Cunningham (Great Niece) visited Lola and stayed by her side all day along with Norma Campbell (Niece) until late Saturday night approx. 11:00pm they give Lola a shot of Adavan a drug to relieve pain and to help her rest and sleep
5/15/04 Sunday 9:00am Carolyn goes back to Hillcrest South to be with Lola in her final hours and her symptoms are she is slowly dying and getting weaker and not responding but is still able to call for her sister Ethel Rogers Roach almost every 10 min +/-.
11:45am Lola expires and is gone to be with her Lord and all her family which went on to Glory before her, we are sad and yet relieved that now her suffering is over. Carolyn Sue McCoy Cunningham (Great Niece) and Norma Ball Campbell (Niece) are by her side right up until death claims her body.
Weaver Funeral Home comes to get her body and take it to their business establishment on Western Avenue in Knoxville.
5/17/04 Monday 11:00am Jerry Lennis Cunningham (Great Nephew) and Carolyn Sue McCoy Cunningham go to meet with Mr. ? at Weaver Funeral Home to make final preparations for Lola's funeral which was prearranged by her in 1989 and all paid for in advance. Lola has everything taken care of in detail and expense including the opening and closing of her grave at Highland Memorial Cemetery on Sutherland Avenue in Knoxville TN. She has chosen a light blue casket called "Going Home" which was an exact copy of the one her dear husband Frank Morrison Thornhill used in the same Funeral Home and was buried in at the same cemetery and beside her dear husband.
5/18/04 Tuesday 1:00pm Final service at Highland Memorial Cemetery at Sutherland Ave Knoxville, TN 37919 at the center area of the cemetery, there is a new policy for having funerals of clients on the hillside as Lolas grave was in this section. The cemetery has built a square concrete slab in the center of the roads in the cemetery to do the traditional "Graveside Service " there instead of on the hillside at the grave for safety reasons of funeral attendees, then Jerry Lennis Cunningham, Jr leads the group there in a final song of Amazing Grace which was one of Lola's favorites as well, the service was attended by Lola's favorite Pastor George Gilbert, Jerry Lennis and Carolyn Cunningham, Sr., Jerry Lennis Cunningham, Jr, Christopher David Cunningham and his girl friend Kim Pemberton, and Lolas other nephew Billy R. (Bud) Rogers and the staff from Weaver's Funeral Home Myra Sloan and ? and also a lady from Highland Memorial Cemetery about 50 blonde & slender. A final scriptures was read by Rev George Gilbert her Pastor of First Thessalonians 4:16talking about the dead in Christ shall rise first and then Jerry Lennis Cunningham, Sr, Lola's Great Nephew closed the funeral service with a prayer saying that as we close the last page and chapter on the physical life of Lola Thornhill and open the first page and the first chapter of her eternity is opened in Heaven where she is reunited with all her saved loved ones form the past and I know that Frank her husband was there to greet her with open arms as well as her sisters Ethel Rogers Roach and others who have gone before her.
Lola Rogers Thornhill has gone to Heaven to her final home to be with her loved ones and her Lord Jesus Christ forever and ever and to worship Him and god the Father forever as well, and we will meet her there in the sweet by and by, we love you Aunt Lola and we will miss you and can't wait to meet you over on the other side of eternity and the grave.
WHAT A REUNION THAT WILL BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More About Lola Rogers: Burial: May 19, 2004, Knoxville, TN.
Lola Rogers (b. April 2, 1909, d. May 16, 2004)
Notes for Lola Rogers: