Mary Elizabeth Mansfield Rogers gathers with her family for her 86th birthday celebration. Mary Elizabeth Mansfield Rogers was honored on her 86th birthday at a family celebration on Sunday, July 30, at the Georgia Baptist Association Office hosted by her daughters, Patricia Rogers Stowe of Cordele, Janice Rogers Hopkins of Lawrenceville and Linda Rogers Weigel of Gainesville. Mrs. Rogers was born July 31, l920, in Wilkes County.

In honor of the occasion Mrs. Rogers was presented a corsage of Alstroemeria lilies to complement her attire.

As guests arrived, they were asked to sign a mat surrounding a picture of Mrs. Rogers that would later be framed as a memento of the occasion.

A special prayer of thanksgiving and blessing for Mrs. Rogers' life was offered by son-in-law, Sid Hopkins.

A variety of favorite foods was served after which Mrs. Rogers opened her gifts with the help of her great-grandchildren.

After the singing of "Happy Birthday," Mrs. Rogers blew out the single candle decorated with flowers similar to her corsage.

While enjoying the cake, family members shared special memories and stories about her including how she got her nickname, "Spider"; forgetting to put the soda in the biscuits when Linda's future husband, Jim Weigel, came for his first visit; the surprised look on her face when granddaughter, Hester's husband, Issac Strickland, trimmed her favorite holly bush to the ground; and, all the pretty dresses she sewed for the girls.

Attending were Carl and Patricia Stowe of Cordele, Sid and Janice Hopkins of Lawrenceville, Jim and Linda Weigel of Gainesville, Kyle and Carla Gober of Jonesboro, Joshua, Hannah and Jared Stowe of Locust Grove, Suzanne, Hannah and Jonathan White of Covington, Kevin and Heidi Hutchinson of Atlanta, Isaac and Hester Strickland of Statham, Eunice Mansfield and Gary and Dean Mansfield of Washington, Jim and Sue McAvoy of Dahlonega, Irina Gancear of Balti, Moldova and PJ Hopkins of Lawrencville.

Granddaughter, Heather Hopkins Clement of LaVerne, California, visited earlier in the week.