Ms. Sallie Mae Rogers

Sallie's Life Journey: Sallie Mae Rogers was born on December 26, 1932 in Newberry, North Carolina to Jettie Rogers and Rachel Lena Rasper. Her father died shortly before Sallie was born and her mother died at her birth. Sallie spent her early childhood in Oglethorpe, Georgia. She was raised by siblings, aunts and cousins, primarily by her oldest brother, Leonard Rogers. In exchange for her relatives’ generosity and kindness, Sallie cooked and cleaned for them, and in the process began to develop her phenomenal cooking skills. Sallie’s astounding beauty captured the attention of Emeritt Sneed, a young college student from Jacksonville, Florida. They married when Sallie was at the sweet tender age of eleven years old. The couple left the south and moved to Detroit in 1944. A few months after World War II ended, Emeritt Sneed and Sallie were blessed with their first child. Several years later they were blessed with their last child. Sallie loved her children dearly. As a young mother she encouraged her children in ballet, dancing and singing lessons. She would spend hours sewing sequins and trimmings on their costumes with her close friend and neighbor Freida Lawrence. She would make sure her children were clean, well-fed, well-dressed and well-loved. After approximately 20 years, the marriage ended in divorce. Sallie used her new freedom to hone her cooking skills and obtain a dietician certificate. She worked at Children’s Hospital in Detroit as a supervising dietician. Still very young and beautiful, she married again, and again, and again. She found her true love in her last marriage with Coit Ford II, who predeceased her in the year 2000. The best word to describe Sallie Rogers is love. She loved God. The only book she read was the Bible. She sang gospel music and taught her child the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”—all three stanzas—well before it became popular during the Black Power movement. She nourished the soul of everyone who had the privilege of being in her company. And her cooking—she excited the palates of all who had the opportunity to eat her food. Sallie also loved music, soap operas and dancing. She would listen to Martha Jean the Queen, dance all the latest dances that she would learn from “American Bandstand” and from her children. She would try as much as she could to watch her “stories,” particularly the “Days of Our Lives” and “General Hospital.”

Ms. Sallie Mae Rogers

December 26, 1932 - June 9, 2013