Shirley Rogers speaks at Rotary

By Charlotte Underwood

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- Community icon Shirley Fox Rogers was Tuesday’s guest speaker at the Campbell County Rotary Club luncheon held at the LaFollette Methodist Church.

Rotary President Debbie Petree introduced Rogers as a “Campbell County and LaFollette icon” who “has spent her life in service to her community.” Rogers is a long time Rotary member since November 1st, 1999.

She also chairs the scholarship committee for the Campbell County Rotary Club as well and said she “hopes to chair that committee as long as she can.”

Rogers shared stories from her life, both colorful and sentimental. Some of her stories were about teachers at the Methodist Church and community members.

She spoke about one of her teachers named Miss Carmen (Carmen Eblen).

According to Rogers, “Miss Carmen’s class had no age limit to it and even had teenagers and university students in it, too.”

“Everyone just loved Miss Carmen,” Rogers said.

She also told stories about her daughter Cindi.

“My daughter and Rusty Claiborne were the best of friends.  If one was in trouble you could count on the other one being in the office together. They were the only two in the class who could wiggle their ears. The teachers never knew it, but the entire student body did. The kids would laugh, and the teachers didn’t know what they were laughing at, and it was these two reprobates wiggling their ears,” Rogers said.

She told another story about herself from when she was a child.

“When I was a little girl, I thought when everyone bowed their head in church was a good time to walk around and see what people were doing.  My daddy thought otherwise. I thought he wouldn’t be watching me, but he was,” Rogers said, adding that she “never did that again!”

She closed her talk with the same words that she closes each talk with. “Do you know my Jesus?”

Rotarians gave Rogers a standing ovation at the conclusion of Tuesday’s luncheon. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-04/30/2025-6AM)