Rogers Family
Al Larsen
2003 7:23:50 PM Modified:9/3/2003 6:02:13 PM Robert Rogers Mourns the Loss of His Family Glenaire, MO - The man who lost his family in a flash flood talks about his wife, four days after the tragic accident.
His van was swept away by flood waters on the Kansas Turnpike near Emporia Saturday night. He survived, but his kids and wife were killed. The body of Melissa Rogers, 33, of Glenaire was found Tuesday about 2 miles from the turnpike in a reservoir pond. His kids, Alenah, Nicholas, Zachary and Makenah also died.
Robert Rogers spoke to the media today. He says his faith will comfort him. He's asking anyone who wants to remember his family to make a donation to one of the following agencies: The Children's Hope International adoption agency (816-436-5800), Children's Mercy Hospital (816-346-1300) or the Down's Syndrome Guild of Kansas City (913-384-4848).
There will be a candlelight vigil for Melissa and the children. It will be held outside their home at the corner of Johnson and Liberty Drive in Glenaire at 8:30 Wednesday night.
In Topeka, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius told reporters Tuesday she would have officials from the highway patrol, Department of Transportation and Kansas Turnpike Authority review events to see whether the tragedy could have been avoided.
Posted:9/3/2003 9:01:49 PM Modified:9/3/2003 9:01:49 PM Psychologist Speaks on Rogers Kansas City, MO-- Dr. Marita Barkis is a Psychologist, who is also Director of Counseling Health and Testing at University of Missouri- Kansas City. Barkis Wednesday sat and watched with Fox Four as Robert Rogers held his second news conference in three days. Rogers' wife and four children died Saturday when their minivan was swept away in a flash flood just outside of Emporia, Kansas. Dr. Barkis says Rogers may appear calm, but he could just be numb after such a traumatic experience. She says eventually the numbness will wear off. She says it is healthy for anyone involved in traumatic experiences to recognize their feelings. She says it's unhealthy to hold them back.
Posted:9/1/2003 4:30:19 PM Modified:9/2/2003 7:11:48 AM Search continues for missing Missouri woman, Texas man Emporia, KS--Rescue workers continued their search Monday for two people who disappeared late Saturday after a floodwaters swept across the Kansas Turnpike, tossing vehicles from the interstate and killing at least four children. Still missing are Al Larsen, of Fort Worth, Texas, and Melissa Rogers, of Liberty, Mo., whose four children -- all under 10 years old -- were found dead Sunday morning, three of them still strapped into the mangled minivan. The focus of Monday's search was a reservoir two miles south of the turnpike behind the Jacob Creek detention dam, which weekend rains swelled from a normal 33 acres to about 90.
Posted:9/2/2003 10:30:48 PM Modified:9/2/2003 10:30:48 PM Family Friend Talks About Rogers' Family Devotion to Kids Liberty, MO- Tuesday morning, the only hope left for Robert Rogers of Glenaire, MO was taken. Rogers' wife, Melissa, was found dead miles away from where the family van was overtaken by water. That happened along northbound I-35 just south of Emporia Saturday night. Today, Mary Hiatt, with Children's' Hope International adoption agency said, "they were the perfect parents." Hiatt says Robert and Melissa were parents first, and everything else second. "If anyone were to ask about role model parents, we always thought of the Rogers' first." The Rogers' adopted their youngest child, Alenah, from China this past January. Children's' Hope says the family was thinking of adopting again sometime soon.
All four of the Rogers' children were killed Saturday night in the flash-flood that took the family van off of I-35 and into a culvert. Melissa Rogers body was found today. Robert Rogers, the father, is the only survivor.
Melissa, Makenah, Zachary, Nicholas and Alenah Rogers Robert Rogers' Home Page
