Grace Seagraves Rogers (1913–2009)

THE FOUNDER OF ROTARY, PAUL P. HARRIS, ASKED FOR HER MOTHER’S HAND IN MARRIAGE

This week’s Headstones: Who’s Who is dedicated to the life of a Jacksonville treasure who passed away August, 28th, 2009, and one of the most fascinating women I have ever met, Grace Bell Seagraves Rogers. She was a direct descendant of several of Florida’s most influential citizens.

I met Grace while completing a book on the history of the founder of Rotary, Paul P. Harris. It turned out that Grace Rogers’ mother, Grace Mann, had dated Paul P. Harris (Paul asked for her hand in marriage) 10 years before young Grace was born and during the time Paul was developing and founding Rotary Club organization. In fact, she read the first club by-laws. Today, Rotary has 1.2 million members world-wide.

Grace Rogers’ grandfather, Austin Shuey Mann, made it rich as an attorney who held several northern patents (one may have been a high-heel shoe) in the late 1800’s. He moved to Florida buying large tracts of citrus acreage (originally named Mannville now known as Citrus County) near Tampa. In 1883, Mann was elected to the Florida State Senate and represented Hernando County from 1883 to1887. He was present at the 1885 Constitutional Convention. In 1887 he was instrumental in the division of Hernando County into Citrus, Pasco, and Hernando Counties. Also during this year he moved to Brooksville and bought a newspaper business. In 1891, he was elected into the Florida House of Representatives on the Farmers’ Alliance ticket.

Grace Rogers’ aunt who is listed as “one of the most influential women in Florida of the 20th Century” (she started a movement that saved the Florida Everglades) married William Sherman Jennings, who served as Florida’s First Governor of the 20th Century (1901-1905). Governor Jennings was the first cousin of Presidential hopeful (Presidential candidate 1886) and one of the United States most famous orators, William Jennings Bryan. Grace Rogers’ mother Grace served as Governor Jennings’ personal secretary during his term as Florida’s Governor.

The story, I thought, was all about Paul Harris but little did I know it would end up being all about Grace and her family. I first met Grace after her 91st birthday. George Linville (local realtor and great friend), explained that he had read a story about her mother written by a local Jacksonville historian in the Rotarian magazine. He said interviewing her might add additional information to my story. Knowing that few people live to the ripe old age of 91, I asked George, “Is she still alive?” He replied, “Yes, and she is still working every day.”

I immediately called her business, Pier 17, and asked to speak to Grace Rogers. Grace actually answered the company phone, saying, “This is she.” I told her that I was working on a book which about Paul Harris and asked if I could interview her about her mother. Grace said, “Come right over. I can talk right now.”

Pier 17 is located on Lakeshore Boulevard off Roosevelt Boulevard just behind the Chamblin Bookmine. It carries all types of water sport items and parts for any nautical need. Its inventory of nautical maps is one of the largest in North Florida. Grace opened its doors in 1963 along with a marina. After selling the marina in 1977, she moved the store to its current location where it was known as “The Largest Nautical Store in the Southeast”.

I walked in the door of Pier 17 and noticed a graceful woman in full command behind the register. It had to be her. “Grace?” I called out. “Joe?” she asked, adding, “Come closer so I can see you.” Long ago, Grace had lost a significant portion of her sight but her memories were clearer than most people with perfect vision. To compensate for her failing sight, she utilized a magnification device which enlarged a single word in print to 19” wide and 10” tall. She devoured words reading numerous papers and magazines throughout the day one word at a time. The device would also enlarge photographs, bills and invoices.

When people talk of Grace, they speak about her business prowess, her outstanding attention to detail and overall love of people. But I want you to know that a giant part of Jacksonville history has evaporated with the passing of this woman. She not only knew Jacksonville’s history but had lived it. When the now famous Jacksonville historian Wayne Wood moved to Jacksonville, it was Grace who described to him in detail the stories of Jacksonville’s past and drove him around town pointing out significant historical sites.

Even at 91, her mind was as sharp as a tack. I personally believe that she had a photographic memory. If not, she had developed one from the loss of her sight. Customers entering the store would ask for an insignificant nautical part from their boat manufactured 20 years earlier. As though she were the entire GOOGLE database of nautical parts, Grace would instantly recite its aisle, location and bin. I think some customers actually came to the store to test this ability. But Grace also had trust in mankind. She would request payments of $200 from a customer and expect that the amount was what the person handed her in return.

As a child, Grace grew up at Atlantic Beach. She spoke of the high times she had along the ocean and about riding the now long gone train from Atlantic Beach down Atlantic Boulevard to the current location of Friendship Fountain on the Southbank of the St. Johns River every day to school. She would then ride the ferry across the river and then jump on the street car to her school John Gorrie. After school she would ride the street car to the ferry, take the ferry to the train, and then board the train for a ride back home to Atlantic Beach.

Her journalism skills were honed at age 15 when she began writing a column for the Florida Times-Union. The column lasted four years and covered teenage life at the beach. Grace lettered on both the swimming and basketball teams of Lee High School where she graduated. Soon after graduation, she married Alex Seagraves, a Georgia native raised in Jacksonville. Alex was a graduate of Georgia Tech. The two had met when Grace was just 14. Grace was proud to show me his Adonis-like photograph in a bathing suit, asking, “Was he something or what?”

For the Jacksonville history book, Alex and Grace built the first home on Lake Shore Boulevard along McGirts Creek. Grace lived in the home the remainder of her life. She was proud to mention that they purchased this waterfront lot for $650.

Alex’s family owned a large car repair business and Grace helped with the books. These skills led to a job with the IRS. With her uncanny ability to read, comprehend and store nearly everything she read or saw Grace quickly moved up to the head of the accounting branch of the state IRS. This was a feat that no other woman had ever achieved. After 20 years, she took early retirement in that position.

Grace and Alex purchased additional property along the Ortega River for a dream they had of building and owning a marina. But sadly, Alex died of cancer before the dream materialized. One year later, Grace married family friend, Norman Rogers. Norman’s family owned a large hardware store at the turn of the century. The two executed on the planned marina and completed its construction in 1963 with enough room for 144 boats. Norman passed away in 1985.

Grace loved to work but saw it as a means to live a fulfilling life. She loved to travel and enjoyed trips to Europe and all over the United States.

While with the IRS she had an extended stay in Washington, D.C., which provided the opportunity to attend lavish parties at the many embassies in the city. Grace was truly the “bell of the ball”. She also spent an extended period a time traveling San Francisco.

She was active in civic, cultural and business organizations throughout her life. In addition to her ownership of Pier 17, she held the following leadership roles: Manager and Owner of Seagraves Nursery and Florist (1936-1943); President of the Woman’s Civic Chorus (1942); President of Jacksonville Opera and Choral Society (1943-1960); National Vice-President, National Association of Internal Revenue Employees (1952-1959); President, Florida District, National Association of Internal Revenue Employees (1952-1959); Executive Board Member, Jacksonville Museum Maritime Society (1985-1996); Founded and Incorporated the Maritime Heritage Society (1995-Present); and Founder, Incorporator and First National Vice-President of the Bell Family Association of the United States.

A story about Grace would be incomplete without including her devoted daughter, Cynthia, who worked tirelessly alongside Grace at Pier 17 for over 25 years. When Grace had to finally give up her car (a classic 1964 Lincoln) at age 93, it was her daughter who brought her to work every day. Grace’s health held up until half way into her 95th year but she was never deterred from going to work. Cynthia cared for Grace and made sure she made it to the office, the love of her life. Grace had a son William whom she spoke highly of but I never had the pleasure to meet him.

Grace loved to hug her good customers and long time salesmen who sold her new inventory throughout the years. Her stories were unending and her sense of humor was dry and witty. When we spoke of the possibility of dying (four years ago), she told me that she was not fearful of dying and that her heart was right with the Lord. But to make the moment lighter, she joked, “I’ll die at the hands of a jealous wife”. Grace was a proud member of Riverside Park Methodist Church from 1932 until the day she left this earth.

Grace died at home she and Alex built just shy of her 96th birthday.

Grace, you squeezed every drop of excitement out of a long and fulfilling life and used up every second of time God blessed you with to do good deeds for others.

Thank you for sharing your life history with me.

One last note: In the 1980’s, Grace Rogers was called by a construction crew who was destroying a home in Springfield. They had discovered a box in the attic of their newly purchased home. In the box were dozens of letters from Paul Harris to her mother, Grace Mann. To my surprise, she also was given the other half of the letters in which Grace Mann replied to Paul Harris. These letters survived because in the day, it was customary for a man to hold his fiancés letters and return them to her if and when they broke of the engagement. Grace Mann had wrapped them neatly with a colorful ribbon and placed them away in the attic. Grace Rogers provided those letters to me for my research and donated the originals to Rotary International for its archives.