Florence Rogers, known to Oklahoma City bombing survivors as ‘Mother Goose,’ has died
By Kolby Terrell
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OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — The woman Oklahoma City bombing survivors called “Mother Goose” has died.
Florence Rogers led the Federal Credit Union and was instrumental in rebuilding after the blast, but was really known for helping survivors of the bombing. Rogers was one of more than 600 survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing and those who knew her said losing her is losing one of the fiercest advocates for the people whose lives were changed on April 19, 1995.
“I met Florence in 1988 when I was interviewing for a teller position at the Murrah building downtown in Oklahoma City,” said Amy Downs, a survivor.
Rogers survived the bombing, having been the president of a Federal Credit Union on the third floor where many of her 33 employees were killed.
“I talked to her about a month and a half ago and we had a long conversation for about an hour, and I knew that she had been struggling with her health and she told me she said, ‘You know, it won’t be long and I’m going to join. I’m going to join the other 18,'” Downs said.
After the blast, survivors said she was like family to them.
“Very much so, to the point that our nickname for her was Mother Goose. I’m going to miss her a lot,” Downs said.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum said even though the loss hurts, her story will live on.
“I talked to several of those families yesterday just letting them know and I think she was such a force, people thought she would be here forever. That’s why the museum is here. To teach the story beyond all of our lives. We’ll always tell Florence’s stories and the people who worked with her and know her will always have that impact that she made to them,” said Kari Watkins, president and CEO of the museum.
The dress Rogers wore on the day of the bombing is inside the museum next to a video board sharing her story.
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