Rock Hill, SC – Mary Frances Rogers Watt, 97, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 15 at the Westminster Health & Rehab Center in Rock Hill, S.C. Frances was born on July 23, 1926, in Liberty, S.C. to the late Joe and Modolon Rogers. She graduated from Greenville High School and later worked at F.W. Woolworth Co. in downtown Greenville, S.C.
Frances married Clyde Lewis Watt from Pelzer, S.C. in December of 1951 and after living in Greenville, S.C. and Tarboro, N.C. they moved to Rock Hill in 1965. Frances would live at 1258 Christopher Circle for the next 56 years until heath concerns required a move into HarborChase of Rock Hill and later to Westminster. While residing on Christopher Circle she began employment with Sears, working in the children’s department when the store opened in the Rock Hill Mall on Cherry Rd. She retired 25 years later after the store moved to the Galleria Blvd location. As she missed interacting with the public, she agreed to “help out” at the Market on Herlong for an afternoon only to retire once again some 10 years later after serving meals and pouring tea to hundreds of regulars who stopped in for lunch. She was a faithful member at West End Baptist Church since 1965 and served as a children’s Sunday School teacher for well over 40 years until her eyesight prohibited her from driving. It was during this time she commonly became known as “Grandma Watt” to the children she loved. She was a lifelong Clemson Tigers fan and worked hard to send two sons there to receive their degrees.
Frances is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Clyde, her son, Joe, an infant daughter and her sister, Hazel Wilson of Florida. She is survived by her son, Lee and his wife, Nancy (whom she claimed as a daughter). She is also survived by her grandson, Michael Cooney (Jennifer), and great grandsons, Levi, and Landon Cooney, all of whom she adored, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to extend gratitude to the staff at Westminster Health & Rehab, and Agape Hospice who assisted with her care over the last 20 months of her life.
A visitation will take place on Tuesday, March 19th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Greene Funeral Home Northwest Chapel, 2133 Ebenezer Rd, Rock Hill, SC 29732. Burial will be on Wednesday, March 20th at 11:30 a.m. at Greenville Memorial Gardens in Piedmont, S.C. with Rev. Barry Yates officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 919 N. Michigan Ave., Ste 1100, Chicago, IL 60611-1676 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, www.stjude.org.
Condolences may be made to the Watt family at www.greenefuneralhome.net.