Odessa (nee Hudson) Rogers of Parsippany, NJ went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 29, 2026. Miss Odessa was 102 years old.

She was born on July 3, 1923, in Homerville, Georgia to her parents, Albert and Marie (nee Williams) Hudson and would become one of eight children.

Odessa grew up in Waycross, GA. She left Georgia for New Jersey as a teenager to help take care of a family member. She attended The Church of God in Christ for All Saints in Morristown, NJ where she met Owen Whitted Rogers and married him on December 26, 1942.

Odessa was known for her beauty, grace and humility as she served the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Boonton Township and worked in many capacities within the church, i.e. The Nurses Unit, The Missionaries, Choir and their First Lady for 43 years. Odessa also worked as a machinist at Picatinny Arsenal during World War II. She worked independently to gain her General Education Degree (GED) and her Home Nursing certificate.

Odessa worked tirelessly to be a mother who was present, loving, caring. She was always serving - whether at home, at church or in her community. Odessa was known for tending to her neighbors who were sick, needing help with housework and running errands for them and/or giving companionship.

She was loyal and faithful. When Odessa had no car, and in all types of weather - rain, snow, cold or heat, Odessa walked to catch early morning buses to a job across town. When she could no longer drive and had compromised vision, Odessa walked from her home to a local church, crossing at least two busy streets.

In her determination to stay connected to family, Odessa traveled as far away as Sierra Leone, West Africa. She was back and forth across the U.S. numerous times for births, graduations, and family celebrations. Odessa remembered every birthday of every child in the family with a card, a personal note, and a financial blessing.

Her signature song was His Eye is On the Sparrow. It was/is a testament to her simple and vibrant faith. Odessa is and will always be a loving inspiration.

Odessa served the Living God who loves, protects, and provides for His own and reflected it during her life. Charm and grace are deceptive and (superficial); beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord (reverently, worshipping, obeying, serving, trusting Him with awe-filled respect). Odessa shall be praised! Give her the product of her hands. And let her own works praise her in the gates (of the city).

She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Reverend Owen W. Rogers; her siblings, Albert, Bernice, Jackie, Henry, Betty, and John; her sons-in-law, Robert Ingram, William Norwood and Robert Sam-Kpakra; and her grandson-in-law, Richard Brown.

Odessa is survived by her children, Maxine Ingram, Madlyn Norwood, Naomi Sam-Kpakra, Angelique Norman (Gerald), and Cortland Rogers; her grandchildren, Charles Bembrey, Mark Norwood (Esther), Darrin Norwood, Dana Brown, Mamandoma Sam-Kpakra, Odessa Katumu Abdulai (Joseph), Nyahale Sam-Kpakra, Robert Sam-Kpakra (Sheriffe), Adrian Sam-Kpakra (Ashley), Victoria Sam-Kpakra, Demetria Vaughn (Leslie), Reulonda Williams (Maurice), Marcus Norman, Marie Norman, and Kori Lyons; 25 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-great grandchild; and her brother, Richard Hudson.

A Celebration of her life will be held Thursday, April 9th at Mount Zion Baptist Church, 4 Church Rd, Boonton Township, NJ at 11:00am, with visitation from 10:00 -11:00am. The interment will immediately follow at Heavenly Rest Memorial Park, East Hanover.

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