My Parents

These are the two people who made it all possible.

This is my Mom, before she met Dad. This photo was taken about 1943 or 44

Becky Jean Rodgers

9-10-1925 to 12-19-2002

This is my Father, Rufus Benjamin Rodgers Jr. in 1945.

Rufus Benjamin Rodgers Jr.

02-26-1924 to 09-15-2005

And this is both of them together in about 1947. They were in a "brown bag" club in Lubbock Texas. Such clubs provided cups, ice and sold soda and other mixers. You brought your own liquor and kept it in a "brown bag" under the table. Although in THIS photo, the bottle is plainly visible near Dad's left hand.

How they met.

Dad had been out with a college girl from the University in Lubbock. She had to be back in her dorm by 11:00 PM. Dad saw her home, but missed the last bus back to town. He decided to try hitching a ride and presently a 1937 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe passed by, stopped, backed up and the young lady at the wheel offered him a ride. He, in turn, offered to buy her a drink. And so that was their first "date". Mom has never again picked up another "damn hitch hiker".

Grandpa's advice.

My maternal grandfather had never been real pleased with any of Mom's boy friends. He was prepared to not be pleased with the new one either, but when Mom told him that Dad had been a Sergeant in the US Marines in the war. Grandpa immediately said, "Marry the son of a bitch!"

The "Innocent young girl" and the Lincoln Zephyr.

Mom's car had, unbeknownst to her, belonged to a bootlegger at one time and had been fitted with secret compartments. Mom couldn't understand why the Lubbock police were always stopping her, until one of them explained about the car's history. The word also went out to the police that the Lincoln now belonged to an "Innocent young girl" and should be ignored. As soon as the cops quit stopping her every time they saw the car. Mom took up bootlegging. I figure that if Joe Kennedy could make his fortune that way and have a son grow up to be President of the United States, I must be in pretty good company. ;-)