ARDENIA F. KINGSBERRY-RODGERS

Sept. 11, 1932 - Feb. 16, 2012
SOUTH BEND - Ardenia Frances Kingsberry-Rodgers was born on September 11, 1932, in Natchez, Mississippi, to Gladys Ruth Williams-Kingsberry and Roosevelt Kingsberry. She departed this life on February 16, 2012, in South Bend, Indiana, of a lengthy battle with lung cancer. She resided in South Bend during her youth with her Aunt Mildred Kingsberry and Uncle James Kingsberry, and their children, Jean, Mary and Matthew Kingsberry.

She attended and graduated from Central High School in South Bend in 1949. She attended Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia, and pursued further studies in nursing at Champaign Urbana.

She spent the majority of her working life in the health-related industry, beginning in Sanatorium, Mississippi, at a tuberculosis facility, and continuing in Natchez, Mississippi, as a nurse's aide and ward clerk. She also worked in South Bend at Memorial Hospital and St. Joseph Medical Center, and in home health care. After retirement she was a volunteer tutor at Jackson Middle School and decided to return to part-time employment at REAL Services for Project Safe. Her hobbies included fishing, sewing, cooking, dancing, and crocheting.

She is survived by one brother, Albert (Betty) Kingsberry of California, and two children, Triona (Robert) Kingsberry-Albert of Dallas, Texas, and Ernest F. (Bernett) Kingsberry-Hursey Sr. of South Bend, Indiana. She has eight grandchildren, Erika Hursey, Ardenia Hunt, Roosevelt T. (Sommer) Hursey Sr., Ernest F. (Kenya) Hursey Jr., Glenisha Davis, Lawrence M. Hursey, Natira Anderson and Larry Anderson. She had twenty-two great-grandchildren, Kanashia Hursey, Thomas J. Hursey, Tracey Hill, Romell Phillips, Devon Woods, Ernest F. Hursey III, Ernestine Hursey, Sedgwick Neily, Daaiyon Clark, Tynisha Hursey, Iyanna Hursey, Marshawn Hursey, Roosevelt T. Hursey Jr., Madison Hursey, Caela Bond, Jaelen C. Lusk, Caleb J. Lusk, Jace A. Crenshaw, Jaxson A. Crenshaw, Laniya D. Williams, Ariah Anderson and Damien L. Anderson. She has numerous nephews and nieces; a host of great-nieces and nephews; and a sister-in-law, Josephine Kingsberry. She also leaves two special lifelong friends, Mrs. Stella (Harold) Snelling of South Bend, Indiana, and Mrs. Jessie (Jack) Johnson of Natchez, Mississippi, and numerous others whom she adopted as her own children or grandchildren.

Her brothers, Leroy Kingsberry, James Kingsberry (his wife, Deloris) and Roosevelt (his wife, Velma) preceded her in death, along with a lifelong friend, Mrs. Mary C. Lee of Natchez, Mississippi.

Services for Ardenia Frances Kingsberry-Rodgers will be held on Thursday, February 23, 2012, in St. Augustine Catholic Church, 1501 W. Washington St. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. and funeral services at 11:00 a.m. Visit www.clarkoneal.com to sign her guestbook. Clark-O'Neal Funeral Home Inc. has been entrusted with arrangements.

Published by South Bend Tribune on Feb. 22, 2012.

02/04/2023 EJS