Marian Rogers Kerr (Nita), age 95, left us to be with her Lord and Savior on July 29, 2024. Born to Ethel Howe Rogers and Jimmy Rogers, Sr. on August 27th, 1928, the second oldest of four children, she attended Dudley Elementary School, El Paso High School and Texas College of Mines (UTEP), where she studied journalism.
A proud mother and beloved “Mimi,” Nita’s greatest joys in life were her large family, competitive card games, and babies. Known as a kind, generous person, her constant refrain to “just be nice,” will be her greatest legacy.
A 4th generation El Pasoan, Nita was a descendant of E.A. and Harriet Shelton, an El Paso pioneer family who arrived in 1886. The city had always been her home and her passion and as a civic volunteer, she lent her wisdom and expertise to non-profit organizations in the El Paso area well into her 80’s. In 2009, as part of the celebration of the YWCA Del Norte Region centennial, Nita was named as one of the 100 most influential volunteers. As president of the YWCA Board of Directors she was instrumental in the opening of the first YWCA Branch on the East side of El Paso. She spent countless hours volunteering at the YWCA, the Junior League of El Paso, the Sun Bowl Coronation Committee, Mesita Elementary School, Coronado High School, and El Paso High School. She was Mesita Elementary PTA President, President of the Women’s Auxiliary to the El Paso Bar Association and a deacon at First Presbyterian Church of El Paso.
Nita was preceded in death by her parents, husband Crawford S. Kerr, Jr., son James Crawford Kerr (Jay), her sister Elizabeth Howe Rogers (Betty), and brother, James E. Rogers, Jr. (Jimmy).
She is survived by her sister Stevie Wieland (Mike), sister in law Jody Rogers, daughters Carolyn Anderson (Jud), Betsy Davis (Peter Nickel), Shelley Norris (Tim) and Ginny Frye (Ted), daughter in law Nancy Kerr, grandchildren Ali Gates (Greg), Amy Anderson, Matt Kerr (Camille), Mary Kerr McKeown (Billy), Laura Davis, Carolyn Wittie (Todd), Andrew Nickel, Ashley Marshall (Josh), Tyler Norris (Brenna), Robert Frye (Whitney) and Megan Frye, great grandchildren Gavin Sanders, Chris Sanders, RJ Gates, Ruby Kerr, Hazel Kerr, Marco McKeown, Harry McKeown, Theo Wittie, Gwen Wittie, Jack Marshall, and Beverly Frye, and many nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank The Legacy at Cimarron and Three Oaks Hospice for their dedicated and loving care over the past few years.
Services will be held at 12 pm on August 12 at Martin Funeral Home West, with a private family burial at Fort Bliss to follow at 1:30 pm. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the El Paso YWCA of El Paso or a charity of your choice.
