Mrs. Elizabeth Rogers, one of the early pioneers of the Saginaw valley, died in Bay City, July 17, 1881, aged 72 years.

She was born in Watertown, New York, November 12, 1809, and was the daughter of Dr. Wilcox, an eminent physician of that place.

In her younger days, while still with her father, she became an excellent student; in fact all her spare time was spent in studying medical works, and at the age of eighteen she was frequently consulted by her father in difficult cases. This early training and experience eminently fitted her to fill, in after years, a sphere of great usefulness among the pioneers of the Saginaw valley.

She with her husband emigrated to Lower Saginaw, now Bay City, in 1837, and settled in Portsmouth, now South Bay City. From the year 1837 to 1850 she was the only practicing physician to the early settlers. Emigration now began to come in, also doctors. But the old settlers would have none other than Mrs. Rogers, and she continued to attend them up to 1856, at which time she gave up practicing. Mrs. Rogers was one of the noblest of women. No person had more kindly feelings or more sympathy for her fellow beings. She was a mother to the sick and afflicted, and in fact her presence at the sick bed to sympathize with and cheer the sick was as good as half of the antidotes that could be given. In the year of the cholera, which swept off so many of our citizens, she was at the bedside of the suffering and dying, administering assistance and comfort.

Sometime before her death, in alluding to the year of the cholera, she said, "there were many days when I could not get time to lie down and rest." Said I, "I suppose you have been well paid" Said she, "I made no charge; I have done no more than my duty to my fellow beings." Then as if to change the subject, she said, "How things have changed." "yes," I said, "we have seen Bay City and its surroundings rise from three or four families to a population of twenty-eight thousand." "No," says she, "I don’t mean that. I mean there are no noble-hearted men and women as there were among the early pioneers. It seems that an all wise Providence chose such men and women to make the beginning here, or it never would have been done."

Mrs. Rogers was an exemplary Christian woman. In company she was modest and unpretending. No person came into her presence without being deeply impressed with her gentle and amiable character. Long will she be remembered by the old pioneers of the Saginaw valley.